House Vote on Epstein File Release Appears Inevitable

Congress looks poised to reveal long-hidden Jeffrey Epstein documents as GOP Rep. Thomas Massie's discharge petition edges within a single signature of forcing a House vote. With 217 signatures as of late Wednesday—thanks to newly elected Virginia Democrat James Walkinshaw—the discharge petition is now one member short of the 218 needed to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson and bring the bipartisan measure directly to the floor, reports Politico. With a Democrat anticipated to win the Sept. 23 special election in Arizona's 7th district, Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, his Democratic partner on the bill, are expected to secure the final signature by the end of the month.

Despite reported resistance from the White House, high-profile Republicans including Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Nancy Mace have signed on and say they'll stand firm. Meanwhile, House Rules Chair Virginia Foxx has asserted her committee won't interfere with the petition process, and GOP leaders have privately admitted a floor vote appears inevitable if the count hits 218. However, it's not guaranteed the files would be released if the measure were to pass, per the New York Times. If the Justice Department refuses, "that would require a separate vote to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress."

Walkinshaw, fresh from his special election win on Tuesday, described the petition as a rare tool to counter what he called the "ironclad control" President Trump holds over many Republicans. Trump, who has a history with the late sex offender, continues to dismiss the Epstein scandal as a Democratic "hoax," a view that has reportedly unsettled some House Republicans. But Johnson insists the lawmakers' effort is unnecessary, arguing that a previously approved measure already directs the Oversight Committee to keep looking into Epstein's activities.