The House of Representatives on Tuesday comfortably passed a measure that will compel the Justice Department to release files on the Jeffrey Epstein case. All present House Democrats and Republicans — except Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) — supported the bill in a 427-1 vote, sending the measure to the Senate for a potential vote.
The House vote came after months of limbo surrounding the bipartisan discharge petition that Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) created to force floor action on the Justice Department’s refusal to fully release its tranche of documents on investigations into Epstein, the convicted sex offender who was arrested on child sex trafficking charges in 2019. The discharge petition needed 218 signatures to force a floor vote on the matter. Last week, after being sworn in following weeks of delays, Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) became the last signature needed to bring the measure to the House floor.
The president and the White House spent last week increasing the pressure on House Republicans who had signed onto the discharge petition, despite months of GOP leadership dismissing the effort, framing it as a disgruntled Massie trying to get attention.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was called to the White House and pulled into the Situation Room in an effort to make her remove her signature from the petition last week.
Trump also publicly broke with MAGA loyalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last week, unhappy with her decision to sign the petition. The president withdrew his endorsement of Greene’s reelection and called her a “traitor.”
The Trump White House’s efforts to block an Epstein vote were unsuccessful.
Trump then decided to buy himself some time by claiming that he was supportive of the effort. Over the weekend he encouraged House Republicans to support the measure to compel the DOJ to release the files — something he could do himself, without a House vote.
“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax,” Trump said in a late Sunday night Truth Social post.
And on Monday when asked if he would sign the petition if it reached his desk, Trump said: “Sure I would.”
Following Trump’s bumbling change in rhetoric, the Senate is now expected to take up the measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has not yet said when the upper chamber may take up the bill. And so far it is unclear if the senators will be forced to take a roll-call vote on it.
Senate Democrats could demand a roll-call vote to put individual Senate Republicans on the record on their stance.
What this says to me is that the orange sh!t stain gave them all cover to vote for this to keep them from having to face voters next fall with a vote to block this on their record. But what do I know?
House Republicans: “We’re all Susan Collins today. Concerned.”
A Daily Kos post, info from David Waldman, says the bill that passed is Democrat Ro Khana’s bill. Massie’s bill is the one on the discharge petition, and it is still waiting under the rules for a Discharge Petition. The 2 bills are nearly the same. ALERT! - Epstein Bill Switch-A-Roo
It’s going to be interesting to watch them flopping after the DOJ blocks the release because of ongoing investigations at the request of Trump.
I feel a certain musical interlude is appropriate here.