Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Wednesday that three major phone carriers failed to establish systems to notify offices about surveillance requests, as required by their Senate contracts.
His “Dear Colleague” letter said AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile did not notify lawmakers when their Senate-funded lines were being monitored by the executive branch or other entities.
“If law enforcement officials, whether at the federal, state, or even local level, can secretly obtain Senators’ location data or call histories, our ability to perform our constitutional duties is severely threatened,” Wyden wrote.
“This kind of unchecked surveillance can chill critical oversight activities, undermine confidential communications essential for legislative deliberations, and ultimately erode the legislative branch’s co-equal status,” he added.
He flagged foreign and domestic surveillance as a hazard for legal oversight and questioned the lack of notice provided for probes into campaign and personal phones used by senators.
Wyden urged senators to support proposed changes outlined in an appropriations bill that would adopt protections for threats to lawmakers’ personal devices from foreign and domestic forces.
He cited an inspector general report from 2024 detailing the first Trump administration’s request to obtain phone records from 43 congressional staffers without notice as one of the bases for his concern.
“The security of our communications isn’t a luxury — it’s essential for protecting our ability to do our jobs, defend the Constitution, and serve the American people,” Wyden wrote in his letter.
“The risks we face are serious, but with focus and action, we can fix them,” he continued.
Verizon and T-Mobile did not immediately respond to The Hill’s requests for comment.
A spokesperson for AT&T said they are” complying with our obligations” to the Senate Sergeant at Arms.
“We have received no legal demands regarding Senate offices under the current contract, which began last June,” Alex Beyers, the company’s director of communications and public relations, added.
Currently, Google Fi Wireless, U.S. Mobile, and Cape have policies of notifying all customers about government surveillance when permitted.
