What’s next in Congress on the push to release the Epstein files – Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON — The House is moving quickly toward a vote next week on releasing records related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation, a step that comes after months of resistance from Republican leaders.

They have no choice but to allow the bill to be considered after a petition on the measure reached the necessary 218 signatures. It comes at a time when new documents raise new questions about Epstein and his associates, including a 2019 email Epstein wrote to a reporter saying President Donald Trump “knew about the girls.” The White House accused Democrats of selectively releasing the emails to defame the Republican president.

Public speculation has been rife for years about Epstein’s exploitation, death and ties to powerful and wealthy individuals, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton, tech billionaires and famous academics, among others.

Why is the House about to vote?

Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., presented a petition in July to force a vote on their bill, the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The effort was supported by all House Democrats and four Republicans, including Massie and Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

Minutes after Democrat Adelita Grijalva of Arizona was sworn in Wednesday, she signed Epstein’s petition, pushing it to the magic number of 218 — a majority of the House’s 435 members.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said after Grijalva was sworn in that he would expedite the petition process to bring a vote on the bill to the House early next week.

Johnson has pushed back against claims that he obstructed the Epstein legislation to protect Trump or others. He told reporters Wednesday that the Republican majority took issue with the wording of the measure, which he said did not sufficiently protect victims. Johnson also repeatedly highlighted the investigation into Epstein by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which resulted in the release of thousands of pages of documents, including more than 20,000 on Wednesday.

What does the bill do?

The bill would require the Justice Department to release all records and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Under the bill, information about Epstein’s victims or ongoing federal investigations could be redacted.

The ministry would not, however, be allowed to redact information due to “embarrassment, reputational damage or political sensitivity, including with respect to any government official, public figure or foreign dignitary.”

Is this going to happen?

Johnson, who had dismissed the petition as a “moot point,” said he would bring the measure to a vote next week. If everyone who signed the petition supports it, it will be adopted.

But the bill appears likely to pick up additional Republican votes — potentially dozens or more — now that it’s moving forward. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who did not sign the discharge petition, said he plans to support it.

The toughest test will come in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority and it would likely take 60 votes to advance the bill to final passage.

When asked in September whether the Senate would take up the Epstein bill if it passed the House, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., responded, “I can’t comment on that at this point.” »

Thune added that the Justice Department “has already released tons of files related to this case.”

“I trust them that they will have the assurance that they will get as much information as possible in a way that protects the rights of victims,” Thune said.

Can Trump stop it?

If the measure passes the Senate, it will go to Trump, who will almost certainly veto it. He opposed the discharge petition from the start, even speaking Wednesday to the two Republicans who signed it.

“Democrats are trying to roll back the Jeffrey Epstein hoax because they will do anything to distract from their poor record on shutdowns and so many other issues,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into this trap. »

A president’s veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses. This has only happened twice since 2009.

Massie said Trump could avoid this whole ordeal by releasing all of the Epstein files held by the federal government.

“There’s still time for him to be the hero,” Massie said of Trump.