The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday on a bill that would force the Department of Justice to release all federal records related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to sources familiar with the internal planning.
This development follows a successful bipartisan effort led by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who utilized a procedural tool known as a discharge petition to bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson’s initial resistance and force the measure to the floor.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to block the effort, including through a series of posts on Truth Social on Friday. Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, despite new claims in a 2019 email released by the House Oversight Committee suggesting he “knew about the girls” Epstein trafficked. No concrete evidence has surfaced tying Trump directly to Epstein’s criminal activities.
Speaker Johnson (R-La.) has stated that he intends to vote against the measure but acknowledged that a significant number of Republicans will likely support it. The House Rules Committee is expected to begin the process on Monday night, advancing the bill alongside several others. If approved, the full House could debate and vote on the Epstein legislation by Tuesday afternoon or evening.
While the bill may pass the House with bipartisan support, it would also need approval from the Senate and the signature of President Trump to become law — both of which are considered unlikely. Nevertheless, prolonged procedural debate could further draw attention to the controversy surrounding Epstein’s connections to powerful figures.
Notably, the four Republicans who signed the discharge petition — Massie, Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), and Nancy Mace (S.C.) — are expected to closely monitor Johnson’s handling of the vote. Their cooperation is crucial, as their dissent could block any procedural maneuvers to delay or alter the bill, potentially paralyzing House floor operations at a critical moment for GOP leadership.
This vote also comes on the heels of an extended recess amid a record-length government shutdown, with Republican leaders eager to restart legislative activity, while Epstein-related scrutiny threatens to steal the spotlight.
