Calif. Dem rep's bid to force release of Epstein files falls flat in House
Khanna sought to capitalize on the raging MAGA revolt over Epstein by tacking on an amendment to pending legislation on cryptocurrency and national defense that would have required the files to be disclosed to the public.
The rep vowed to keep fighting after his defeat.
3 Dem California Rep. Ro Khanna vows to keep fighting for the release of the Epstein files.
AP
'We won't stop until the files are released. This may have been our first attempt, but the public will not be gas-lit. We will keep fighting for transparency,' Khanna said.
On Monday evening, the House Rules Committee, which is a critical gatekeeper for how most legislation makes its way to the floor for a vote, rejected Khanna's amendment in a 7–5 vote.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) was the sole Republican on the rules panel who voted in favor of Khanna's bid to force the release of the Epstein files. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), whose district was slammed with flooding, was not present.
3 Jeffrey Epstein's death in 2019 has long been subject to controversy and public concerns that there was more to the story.
DOJ
All Democrats joined in with Khanna.
Democrats have seemingly been eager to exploit the growing MAGA rift over Epstein.
Key stars within the MAGA movement such as Steve Bannon, Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson have fumed that the administration hasn't been more transparent on Epstein — who allegedly helped arrange sex trysts for the rich and powerful before being busted for sex trafficking and killing himself in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial.
Last week, the DOJ released a memo concluding that the evidence indicates Epstein killed himself and that he didn't have a client list. President Trump has since bristled at the uproar and urged his followers to 'not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.'
But Khanna declared after the rules panel vote, 'People are fed up. They are fed up.
'Need to put the American people before party!'
The California Democrat meanwhile said he would expect the DOJ to protect the identities of Epstein's victims if it releases the files.
3 Attorney General Pam Bondi has faced a firestorm from MAGA world over the government's report on the Epstein files.
AFP via Getty Images
Other key Democrats, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, have also pressed the Trump administration to release the files.
'If there are literally other people on this list who are somehow implicated in these actions, it is dangerous to public health and safety not to release the names publicly,' Raskin told MSNBC's 'Deadline: White House.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump's 50-day Ukraine ultimatum is doomed to fail
President Trump campaigned on a promise to end the Ukraine war within 2 4 hours of returning to the White House. Now back in the White House, he finds himself hemmed in by the realities of great-power politics. Trump's self-confidence has collided with the entrenched dynamics of a grinding conflict. Frustrated, he has turned to familiar tools of coercion: threats, pressure tactics and a new flow of advanced weapons to Kyiv. Trump's latest initiative gives Moscow a 50-day deadline to end its war in Ukraine. He has threatened secondary sanctions on Russia's key trading partners and opened a fresh weapons pipeline to Kyiv, hoping this twin-pronged approach will force Russian President Vladimir Putin's hand. But like Trump's earlier attempts to employ brute pressure as a substitute for diplomacy, this initiative reflects impatience more than strategic clarity. Trump once believed that his personal rapport with Putin, coupled with a dealmaker's instinct, could bring about a ceasefire. But six months into his new term, his peace push lies in tatters. Russia continues to press its territorial ambitions, while Ukraine, bolstered by Western military support, shows little interest in making major concessions. Instead of a breakthrough, Trump faces a deepening quagmire. The irony is unmistakable — the president who pledged to end America's entanglements in ' forever wars ' is now escalating U.S. involvement in one that is deflecting American attention away from more-pressing strategic challenges, including from China, which is seeking to supplant the U.S. as the world's foremost power. Trump's new Ukraine strategy bears an eerie resemblance to his Iran policy, when he tried to bomb Tehran into submission, only to end up entrenching animosities further and weakening U.S. leverage. There is no doubt that ending the war in Ukraine is in America's strategic interest. The conflict has absorbed vast U.S. resources, diverted diplomatic bandwidth and strained transatlantic cohesion. More importantly, the war has delayed Washington's ability to focus on the key Indo-Pacific region — the world's emerging economic and geopolitical nerve center. The pivot to the Indo-Pacific is not merely aspirational. A leaked memorandum titled 'Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,' signed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, identifies China as the Pentagon's 'sole pacing threat.' The Trump administration is seeking to reorient the U.S. military posture to prepare for a potential showdown in Asia over Chinese aggression against democratic Taiwan. The war in Ukraine, by draining American attention, resources and capabilities, undermines this rebalancing. Seen from this angle, Trump is right to seek an end to the conflict. But his approach — escalating arms transfers while threatening punitive sanctions on countries that do business with Russia — is unlikely to yield peace. If anything, it risks prolonging the war by reinforcing the belief in Kyiv that Washington remains committed to a military solution. In fact, Trump's threat to impose harsh penalties on Russia's trading partners lacks credibility. Such sanctions would trigger a U.S. showdown with China, which trades nearly $250 billion annually with Russia, including major oil and gas imports. Sanctioning India could upend America's Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at maintaining a stable balance of power. History offers little support for the notion that coercion alone can deliver durable peace. Military pressure may bring parties to the table, but diplomacy is what cements outcomes. The Dayton Accords, which ended the Bosnian war, and the Camp David Accords, which brought peace between Egypt and Israel, were both products of tough negotiations rather than deadlines and threats. Trump's maximalist tactics risk backfiring on multiple fronts. Sanctioning Russia's trading partners could alienate crucial 'swing' nations in the global contest with China. These states are already wary of U.S. unilateralism, and some of them could be pushed into Beijing's orbit. Moreover, punitive economic measures often fail to change state behavior, especially when national security interests are at stake, as is the case for Russia in Ukraine. Meanwhile, a flood of advanced new U.S. weapons to Ukraine may boost short-term battlefield performance but will do little to bridge the wider diplomatic impasse. Putin, faced with increased Western backing for Kyiv, is unlikely to scale back his goals. Instead, he may double down, calculating that time and attrition are on his side. The real path to peace in Ukraine lies not in deadlines or ultimatums, but in a forward-looking diplomatic initiative that recognizes the legitimate interests of all parties while seeking to uphold Ukraine's sovereignty. The Biden administration made limited overtures in this direction, but Trump, who claims to be a great dealmaker, has an opportunity to go further. Instead of trying to impose peace through pressure alone, he must find ways to bring both sides to the table — with credible inducements and face-saving compromises. This will require working with international partners — not just NATO allies, but also influential neutral states like India and the United Arab Emirates that can serve as mediators. It will also require a nuanced understanding of Russia's domestic political constraints and Ukraine's security concerns. None of this is easy, but it is more likely to succeed than a strategy built on coercion and deadlines. Despite promising to end the war quickly, Trump now finds himself caught in the same bind as his predecessor. His failure to secure a ceasefire has deepened America's involvement in the war — the very entanglement he vowed to end. Unless he pivots toward a more diplomatic course, his 50-day ultimatum to Moscow will go the way of his 24-hour pledge: unmet and quietly shelved. Deadlines don't make peace. Diplomacy does.
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Third Biden aide refuses to answer Oversight questions: Comer
A third aide who served former President Biden while he was in the White House has refused to testify before a congressional panel, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said on Friday. Comer in a post on X said it was 'unbelievable' that Annie Tomasini, who served as deputy director of Oval Office Operations, and others refused to answer 'basic questions about … Biden's fitness to serve.' 'It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal,' Comer said. 'There needs to be transparency and accountability, and we will continue to pursue the truth and examine options to get the answers we need,' he added. Comer said Tomasini invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked if she was instructed to lie about Biden's health or the handling of classified documents found in his garage. She was also asked if the former president or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified material found at Biden's home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family's business dealings, the Republican lawmaker added. Earlier this week, Anthony Bernal, informally known as former first lady Jill Biden's 'work husband,' refused to testify before the Oversight panel as did Kevin O'Connor, Biden's former doctor, earlier this month. The White House and Comer allege that Biden staffers helped cover up the former president's cognitive decline at the end of his term in office. Both Biden and Bernal have rejected the accusations. 'Most recently, the Committee seeks Mr. Bernal's testimony based on a purported controversy regarding use of the autopen at the conclusion of President Biden's term. President Biden has already confirmed that he personally made all decisions concerning his grants of clemency,' Bernal said in a statement sent to The Hill. 'While the Committee only recently began its autopen investigation, the Chairman has already declared that this matter is ' the biggest scandal in Oval Office history,'' he added. The former president shared similar sentiments during an interview published Sunday by The New York Times. 'Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false,' he told the news outlet.
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
House GOP campaign arm launches ad campaign tying NY, NJ Democrats to Mamdani
The National Republican Congressional Campaign is tying lawmakers in New York and New Jersey facing competitive reelection bids to Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani in a new paid digital advertising campaign unveiled Friday. The campaign targets New York Reps. Laura Gillen (D), Tom Suozzi (D) and Josh Riley (D), along with New Jersey Rep. Nellie Pou (D). The 30-second spots feature a picture of Mamdani and the lawmakers with the caption: 'Together we can raise taxes, defund the police, and build a socialist New York.' The NRCC did not specify the amount of money behind the effort, but described the buy as 'modest.' 'If Democrats had their way, Mamdani's pro-criminal, open-borders, anti-law enforcement, and antisemitic agenda would be the law of the land,' said the committee's spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) hit back in their own statement on Friday. 'Laura Gillen, Tom Suozzi, and Josh Riley are laser focused on delivering real solutions for their constituents, and voters in their districts aren't buying these baseless and desperate attacks,' said DCCC spokesperson Riya Vashi. 'It's clear Republicans would rather talk about who the Mayor of New York City may be than answer for their own toxic agenda because they know that slashing health care and raising costs on working families to give tax breaks to billionaires isn't exactly a winning message.' The effort comes as Mamdani is set to meet with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Friday in Brooklyn. Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have not yet endorsed Mamdani. The Democratic nominee was in Washington on Wednesday for a closed-door breakfast hosted by progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). A number of House Democrats in attendance praised Mamdani following the event including Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). This is not the first time House Republicans have sought to tie their Democratic counterparts to New York City politics. Last year, Republicans worked to tie Democrats to corruption allegations against Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection as an Independent. Democrats note they flipped three New York seats and reelected Ryan in the face of those attacks last year.
