Speaker Johnson Provides Update On Release Of Epstein Files

With the government finally reopened after a grueling 43-day standoff, the House of Representatives is moving swiftly toward a long-awaited vote that would force the Department of Justice to release every remaining record related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed Wednesday that lawmakers now have the votes needed to advance a bipartisan transparency bill—legislation that has been stalled for months due to intense political maneuvering.

“We’re going to put that on the floor for a full vote when we get back next week,” Johnson told reporters, noting that the House Oversight Committee has “been working around the clock” on its own deep-dive investigation into the Epstein saga.

But despite the momentum, the legislation still faces procedural hurdles before Congress—and the public—can finally see the long-buried files held by the DOJ. The fight over these records has ballooned into a major point of contention this year, as Democrats and the Biden-era Justice Department repeatedly resisted full disclosure. That resistance helped spark frustration among House Republicans and their voters and became one of several factors that contributed to an early August recess.

Public enthusiasm for transparency has not waned. The issue exploded back into the spotlight after House Democrats abruptly released 23,000 pages of material from Epstein’s estate this week—documents that include new emails referencing President Donald J. Trump. But as Trump has made clear, he has no involvement in Epstein’s criminal enterprise and has described the attempt to tie him to the scandal as a politically motivated “hoax.”

There is also no evidence—none—that President Trump ever engaged in any improper or illegal behavior with underage girls.

Still, Democrats continue playing procedural games. Earlier this week, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) expressed disbelief that Democrats refused to approve his unanimous consent motion that would have released the files immediately.

The transparency bill—introduced in September by Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna—relies on an uncommon legislative maneuver known as a discharge petition. The mechanism allows rank-and-file House members to bypass leadership and force a floor vote, something rarely seen in modern Congresses.

That petition has now cleared the crucial threshold of 218 signatures, thanks to newly sworn-in Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva. After weeks of procedural deadlock tied to her special election and swearing-in, Grijalva became the final signer moments after taking her oath of office.

Khanna suggested earlier Wednesday that a vote could happen “by early December,” but Speaker Johnson’s latest comments indicate the House will take up the measure as early as next week, according to Newsweek. The final floor schedule is still pending.

During a joint CNN interview Wednesday night, Massie and Khanna expressed confidence that the bill will easily pass. They estimated that as many as 50 Republicans could join Democrats in voting to force the DOJ to open its files.

“If we get that kind of overwhelming vote, that’s going to push the Senate, and it’s going to push for a release of the files from the Justice Department,” Khanna said.

Although only four Republicans—Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert—signed the discharge petition, Massie said he believes GOP support will grow once the bill reaches the floor and that the momentum will carry the fight into the Senate.

Anonymous sources speaking to CNN and The New York Times say senior Trump administration officials recently met with Boebert, and that President Trump personally spoke with Mace about the petition. The White House confirmed the Boebert meeting Wednesday, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it an example of the administration’s commitment to “transparency.”

According to Newsweek, Boebert said she has not faced any pressure over her support for releasing the files.

With pressure mounting and Congress finally aligned on a path forward, the coming House vote could trigger the most consequential disclosure of Epstein-related records in decades—and deliver long-promised transparency to the American people.