Live updates: Congress puts focus on funding as Epstein saga enters third week

The Hill

5 days ago

Congress is pushing toward its summer recess this week, putting the focus on government funding amid the swirling saga of Jeffrey Epstein.
Monday marks two weeks since the Justice Department and FBI issued a memo stating the disgraced financier and sex offender kept no 'client list' and that he died from suicide in 2019.
A report by the Wall Street Journal last week on a 'bawdy' letter allegedly written by Trump to Epstein triggered a Trump lawsuit against the Journal after the president said the story was false. That had the effect of uniting the MAGA movement against a common ally, and Trump later pushed for grand jury documents on the Epstein case to be released.
But it is not entirely clear that will settle the controversy as some voices in MAGA continue to call for the release of more information by the administration.
The political spotlight will be on Texas this week, as the legislature opens a special session that will consider, among other things, a mid-decade redistricting to pump up the number of GOP-held seats. Trump has a sharp eye on that effort.
The House returns to Washington on Monday for its last week before August recess. The Senate returns, as well, but is in session a week longer before breaking. This stretch will be full of conversations surrounding Epstein, whether the documents related to him should be released and how the Justice Department has dealt with the uproar.
Trump on Monday has no public events on his schedule. He'll have a private lunch with Vice President Vance.