Democrats have seized on the Republican House leadership scrapping Thursday votes rather than pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
“Why haven’t Republicans released the Epstein files to the American people?” said Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “It’s reasonable to conclude that Republicans are continuing to protect the lifestyles of the rich and shameless even if that includes pedophiles.”
He made the claim while blasting the recently passed spending bill and argued it is “all connected.”
“Republicans are focused on their billionaire donors. That was the centerpiece of the one big, ugly bill, and it’s what explains Republican refusal to release the Epstein files,” he said.
House members will be heading out on Wednesday for a six-week recess as the push for a vote to release the files on the convicted sex offender ground to a halt on Capitol Hill a day early.
Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have pointed out that Democrats did not release the files while in power, but it is clear GOP House leadership has become frustrated with the inability to move past Epstein questions.
Johnson on Wednesday blasted a New York Times report that Republicans were cutting out until September to avoid a vote on releasing the files and insisted lawmakers would be working Thursday before the previously scheduled break.
“Congress is doing its work. No one is adjourning early,” he insisted.
“No one in Congress is ‘blocking’ Epstein documents. No one in Congress is doing that,” he argued. “What we’re doing here, Republicans are preventing Democrats from making a mockery of the Rules Committee process because we refuse to engage in their political charade,” he complained. “That is what is happening and nothing more.”
The House Rules Committee, which sends bills to the floor for a vote, cancelled work early as Democrats repeatedly pushed for an Epstein vote, but were blocked by Republicans.
Johnson repeated Wednesday that Republicans support the release of all “credible” information on Epstein while blasting a bipartisan resolution introduced by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie forcing the release of the files, which he claimed does not protect victims.
He insisted there’s no daylight between members of the GOP conference, but a number of Republicans signed on to the resolution for the release of Epstein files.
“This is not out of fear in any way,” he claimed, but Johnson also insisted there was “no point” in having a vote on the resolution this week as the Trump administration pushes for the release of grand jury testimony.
Critics have pointed out that the Justice Department’s effort regarding testimony would leave out key details.
Massie accused Johnson of “running cover for an underage sex trafficking ring” and “pretending this is a partisan issue.”
But plans to skip town for recess without a vote could come back to haunt Republican leadership this fall.
Senator Chuck Schumer on Wednesday dubbed the August break “Epstein Recess” on the Senate floor.
“By shutting Congress down early, Speaker Johnson has assured that August has become the Epstein recess because this issue is going to grow and grow the longer House Republicans dodge this issue,” he declared.
