House Speaker Mike Johnson Delays Vote on Epstein Files Amid Government Shutdown

House Speaker Mike Johnson has extended the House recess during the government shutdown, delaying a crucial vote on a bipartisan discharge petition to release Jeffrey Epstein files, which requires 218 signatures. Rep. Thomas Massie alleges Johnson is avoiding the vote, as the recent swearing-in of Democrat Adelita Grijalva would provide the decisive 218th signature, a claim Johnson denies, asserting he supports full disclosure and will swear her in once the House returns. Grijalva, elected nearly two weeks ago, remains unsworn and blocked from office, raising accusations that Republicans are deliberately preventing her from taking the oath to stall the petition, a move critics call an attack on democracy. Johnson cites the ongoing Senate funding negotiations and notes that the House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Epstein materials, suggesting the petition is moot, but Massie criticizes the Justice Department's transparency and Johnson's related actions. The dispute highlights deep partisan tensions around the Epstein files and the government shutdown, with Democrats and some Republicans expressing frustration over the handling of the petition and Grijalva's delayed seating. Meanwhile, Grijalva emphasizes the impact on her constituents, who lack representation during the shutdown, and questions the motives behind the delay, which she finds suspicious and politically motivated.