House Republicans brace for Epstein files vote led by Trump foe Thomas Massie

House Republicans are cautiously backing a bipartisan bill to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all of its records on Jeffrey Epstein’s case after President Donald Trump gave his approval to the bill Sunday evening.

Republican lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital Monday evening said they would vote for the bill and were optimistic their colleagues would as well — although many of them said they were still concerned about the way it was written.

This comes after Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who was against the bill but was pushing parallel transparency efforts in Epstein’s case, said he hoped it would undergo significant changes when it reaches the Senate to give more protection to innocent people whose names may appear in records against their will.

“I have real concerns about the discharge language in the House plan,” Johnson said. “But I take comfort in knowing that, if and when the Senate is dealt with, they will be able to correct some of these concerns, if we have protections for victims and whistleblowers and everything else.”

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President Donald Trump has given House Republicans the green light to support a bipartisan bill ordering the DOJ to release records on Jeffrey Epstein. (Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The bill will be introduced in the House on Tuesday afternoon via a mechanism called a discharge petition led by Rep. Ro. Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. The latter found himself at odds with Johnson and Trump on several key issues this year.

A discharge petition allows a bill to gain a House-wide vote against the wishes of the leadership, provided the petition gains support from most lawmakers in the chamber — which, in this case, did last week.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a Trump ally who is running for governor of Florida, said he would vote for the bill but shared Johnson’s concerns.

“First of all, Congress has never released criminal records in the history of Congress. Secondly, there are victims, and I know we’re supposed to try to do what we can to clear their names or conceal their names or redact their names, but you know, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be foolproof,” Donalds said.

“You might have victims who don’t want to be released, to be identified, and then they have to go through that again. What about those women? What if those women have kids now? What if those women have husbands now and they don’t want to go through that? So I think there’s a reason why political bodies don’t release criminal records.”

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Donalds said he would vote to release the records, in order to move past this chapter and help victims find closure.

“It’s become a huge distraction here on Capitol Hill. And I want justice for these victims, if they were mistreated,” he said.

Republican study committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Fla., said, “I’m going to vote for it, but it’s not perfect and there are a lot of things that need to be fixed.”

“Transparency is key. My district needs transparency. The president has nothing to hide, but the things that need to be addressed need to be addressed in the Senate,” said Pfluger, who pledged to support the bill before Trump’s blessing.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., leaves the chamber to speak with reporters after the final vote to end the longest government shutdown in history, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., said she had similar concerns “from the beginning.”

“Once this goes to the Senate, if the Senate feels that it needs broader or, you know, greater protections, then I think that will be up to the Senate to decide, but I’m willing to vote out of the House and send it to the Senate and go there,” Houchin said.

A member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., questioned whether such a move by Congress could hamper the DOJ’s active investigations into Epstein.

“I also have concerns. I mean, there are Justice Department investigations underway. Are we inadvertently intervening?” he asked.

Ogles said, however, that he believes most House Republicans, like himself, will support the bill.

“With the president’s support, I think it sends a clear message that he’s not afraid of what’s in there, Democrats should be,” he said.

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Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., also said he believes Trump’s support has eased some difficulties for Republicans.

“I think it releases any angst they might have when we vote for it,” McCormick said. “I think most people will vote for it, I don’t think it’s going to be a controversial bill at all.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., arrives for a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Houchin told Fox News Digital, “I think he moved the needle tremendously, just to say, you know, let’s vote on this and stop talking about it.”

But Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., disagrees that Trump’s support had a significant effect in reversing the trend.

“I mean, maybe a little bit, but I think people were there for the most part anyway,” Fry said. “We talked about it on the campaign trail. This guy was a complete scumbag, he committed unspeakable atrocities against the women of our country, and the public wants closure…this has been the most transparent Congress and administration on this topic in the history of the country.”

Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday evening: “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to turn the page on this Democratic hoax.”

That appears to have led Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who notably said he would oppose the measure Friday, changing his mind Monday evening. He told reporters that “everyone” would vote for the bill and stressed that “Donald Trump has made a decision.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who led the Johnson-backed investigation into Epstein, also appeared to resign Monday.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., speaks during a hearing. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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“At this point, I think the best thing is there’s so much media frenzy and curiosity about this, and you know, the survivors are acting like they want everything revealed. I want everything revealed…if there are other bad guys in this case, we’ll try to find what we can,” he said.

And Massie told reporters that evening that he would be open but cautious about any changes to his bill in the Senate.

“If the Senate wants to improve this bill without limiting disclosure, that would be fine with me. But if they try to do a monkey thing, I think these senators are going to find themselves in front of a freight train and have a lot of problems with their supporters,” he warned.

Massie shared Johnson’s concerns with Fox News Digital: “He has to be for or against. I think he’s going to vote for it, so he must think there’s more good than bad.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not yet said what he would do if the bill passes the House on Tuesday.