House Nears Vote on Epstein Files Transparency Act

A bipartisan discharge petition led by Reps. Thomas Massie (R‑Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D‑Calif.) has reached—or is on the cusp of reaching—the 218 signatures needed to force a House floor vote to release unclassified Justice Department records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell after Democrat Adelita Grijalva’s special‑election win. The petition is backed by every House Democrat and a handful of Republicans, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace, and would require the DOJ to release unclassified files while protecting victims’ personal data; sponsors have dubbed it the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Speaker Mike Johnson and other House Republicans have used delays and procedural maneuvers (including an early recess and threats to use the Rules Committee) and, along with White House allies, have privately pressured some co‑signers to withdraw, though several committee Republicans reportedly will not help kill the effort. Supporters say a floor vote could come as soon as mid‑October and expect a confrontation if leaders try to block it, while the White House and President Trump oppose the release and have privately lobbied Republican signees.