Johnson shuts door on House vote before September on releasing Epstein files

Yahoo

5 days ago

Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday said he does not plan to allow votes on any measures related to the Jeffrey Epstein case in the House's final week in Washington before a weekslong recess, despite intense pressure from some of his own GOP members to go on the record on the issue.
Some of President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters in Congress have been pressing party leaders to allow for a vote to show they support transparency around the Epstein saga — an issue that continues to animate the MAGA base even as Trump has repeatedly sought to blame Democrats for fanning the flames.
The House forcing the Trump administration to turn over materials against its will would represent a remarkable rebuke of the president by his base. But the push has shown little forward momentum among the party's leadership on Capitol Hill.
Johnson told CNN on Monday the full House would not vote on a pending measure from members of his own party – a non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional Epstein files – before the chamber's August recess, which is slated to begin at week's end.
'My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that, but I don't think we're at that point right now, because we agree with the president,' he said.
As part of a deal to approve the White House's rescissions package last week, Johnson reached an accord with GOP holdouts that allowed the House Rules Committee to advance that non-binding resolution calling for the Epstein files release. But it is unclear if that measure will make it to the House floor, with Johnson firmly standing behind Trump on the matter.
'There is no daylight between the House Republicans … the House and the president on maximum transparency,' Johnson said, adding that Trump wants 'all the credible files' on Epstein to be released and asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce grand jury testimony related to the case and 'all of that is in process right now.'
Still, a bipartisan group of House members — led by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie — is seeking to circumvent Johnson and force a vote on a separate bill calling for the release of the files. Massie will need a majority of House members to sign on to what's known as a discharge petition to force a floor vote.
That measure wouldn't be considered by the full House until after Labor Day at the earliest if Massie is successful.
Johnson's leadership team had been privately signaling they would not bring up any Epstein measures this week, two Republicans familiar with the matter told CNN.
Enough GOP support secured to force vote
Ten House Republicans have now signed onto Massie's measure – a level of GOP support that would trigger a full vote by the GOP-controlled House on the measure if all Democrats supported it, as expected. But don't expect a new tranche of documents to immediately be made public.
A vote to compel the full House to consider the effort can't come until after Labor Day at the earliest when lawmakers return from their five-week summer recess. That's because Massie and California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna are using a discharge petition.
That procedural maneuver requires seven legislative days before House lawmakers can formally collect the necessary signatures. Once they prove they have support from 218 members, it would force party leaders to bring it to the floor.
Trump's attorney general has asked for grand jury material to be made public – which also is likely to be a slow-moving effort, and one that requires court approval. But the Massie and Khanna measure goes significantly further, requiring the Trump administration to release 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials' related to Epstein within 30 days.
It would also require the White House to release a 'list of all government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials' — a list that Trump's base has been demanding.
Khanna previously told CNN's Jake Tapper that he would deliver 'all 212 Democrats' on the measure. While many Democrats previously decried the promotion of conspiracy theories about Epstein, they have in recent days pushed for greater transparency, arguing Trump is trying to protect himself and aiming to further drive a wedge between Trump and his base.
'Why do we think President Joe Biden or President Barack Obama's names are being invoked because Donald Trump is running scared, and the Trump administration is running scared. What are they hiding from the American people, release the files so that the American people can make a decision on their own,' House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters during a press conference Monday.
With all Democrats behind the effort, 10 Republicans would be more than enough to meet the necessary 218 threshold. Along with Massie, the Republicans already on board are: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Max Miller of Ohio and Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
'I think momentum will build for transparency. I don't think this is going to go away,' Massie told CNN on Monday. 'And I think when we return in September, we'll get phase two of the Epstein files.'
The move, of course, could end as many things in Congress do – with a lot of talk, a little corresponding action. Last week, Republicans held up a vote to approve a $9 billion package of spending cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting, something Trump wanted, as they debated what to do on the Epstein case. They settled for the non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional files – which doesn't immediately force any action and to which Johnson has been noncommittal.
Even continued talk of the Epstein case, though, is likely to irk Trump. Over the weekend, the president seemed to acknowledge the intractability of the subject as he noted he had ordered the release of grand jury materials.
'With that being said, and even if the Court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more. MAGA!' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
'Sunlight is a good medicine'
But a chorus of conservative and moderate Republicans – including some of the president's closest allies, like Greene – ratcheted up their demands for the release of more information on Monday.
'People want the information. They don't want things covered up especially when it comes to the most well-known convicted pedophile in modern day history,' Greene, told CNN, noting that the 'highest volume' of recent constituent calls to her office have been about Epstein.
Responding to Trump's frustration with even his own supporters for not moving on from Epstein, Greene said she really likes Trump and thinks 'he has a great pulse on things,' but 'on this issue the American people really want to see transparency.'
'I think sunlight is a good medicine,' Rep. Don Bacon, a swing district Republican who recently announced his retirement, concurred, telling CNN he would vote for a standalone bill to press the administration to release more Epstein information. 'I think there's too much conspiracy theory and it's just better to put light on it.'
Bacon said he thinks Trump administration 'misled' Americans into believing there was more to the Epstein case, adding, 'It's a good lesson for everybody. It's better to keep your powder dry and don't speak until you've got the facts.'
The Justice Department announced earlier this month that there is no Epstein 'client list,' even after Bondi teased having that information on her desk, and that the accused sex trafficker was not murdered in jail.
The Nebraska Republican noted that Congress has oversight authority and 'those who are interested' would have an opportunity to question Bondi when she appears before committees overseeing the Department of Justice.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN's Morgan Rimmer, Nicky Robertson, Arlette Saenz and Jenna Monnin contributed to this report.