Senate Narrowly Defeats Effort to Force DOJ Release of Epstein Files
Senate Republicans on Wednesday narrowly voted to table an amendment that would have required the Justice Department to release all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) pulled a procedural stunt that left GOP leadership scrambling and visibly frustrated.
The 51–49 vote exposed divisions within the Republican ranks over whether to force disclosure of the Epstein records — a move strongly backed by many MAGA-aligned voters demanding transparency.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) broke with leadership by opposing the motion to table, siding with grassroots conservatives who want the Epstein files made public.
“This has been my consistent position,” Hawley told reporters. “My position has long been I think we ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files. I think this is a similar deal.”
Hawley also noted that President Donald Trump recently urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all non-classified Epstein files.
Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who had been negotiating amendment votes on the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was forced into a floor vote after Schumer exploited an opening in the legislative “tree.” Thune’s only alternative would have been to pull the defense bill altogether, a move GOP leaders wanted to avoid.
“It’s a political stunt and we’ll dispose of it,” Thune said, though his frustration was clear.
Schumer’s Political Gamesmanship
Schumer framed his maneuver as a test of Republican sincerity on accountability, despite years of his own party stonewalling transparency.
“If Republicans vote no, they’ll be saying to the American people you should not see the Epstein files,” Schumer said on the floor. “After all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, why won’t you vote yes?”
Notably, Schumer and other Democrats showed no such interest in releasing Epstein-related records during the Biden years, when they controlled the Senate and the White House. His sudden push for disclosure now — after President Trump returned to office — struck many conservatives as nothing more than opportunistic grandstanding.
Republican Divisions
Several Republicans had initially signaled openness to supporting more transparency. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who is retiring next year, told reporters, “We need to have a discussion about it but I think transparency is always good.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he would have supported the measure if it had “the force of law,” but emphasized GOP leadership was almost certain to strip it from the NDAA before final passage.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) questioned GOP leadership’s handling of the situation, openly criticizing the decision to leave the procedural door open for Schumer to hijack the floor.
“I don’t know why we didn’t have the tree filled,” Kennedy said. “You can fill the tree and always unfill it later. But we did and Schumer jumped on it like wet on water.”
Grassroots Pressure Mounts
For many conservative voters, the episode confirmed long-standing frustrations: Democrats exploit procedure to score political points, while Republican leaders hesitate on issues of transparency that resonate deeply with the base.
The clash over the Epstein files now threatens to complicate broader NDAA negotiations and raises fresh questions about whether GOP leadership is willing to stand firmly with President Trump’s call for full disclosure.