3 weeks ago
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House Republicans’ legislative agenda is frozen as the party wrestles with Democrats’ “political games” to force votes on requiring the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein.
As a result, House GOP leaders announced the chamber would depart Wednesday for a monthlong summer recess, a day earlier than originally scheduled.
GOP leaders don’t want to bring Epstein-related legislation to the floor while the Trump administration is seeking court approval to release the grand jury materials from the case.
But Republican lawmakers don’t want to vote against Democratic measures to force release of the Epstein files, fearing it would look like they are trying to protect the convicted sex offender.
The conundrum has frozen Republicans’ legislative agenda because the majority cannot bring their legislation to the floor without dispensing with Democrats’ Epstein-related votes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans want “maximum transparency” in the Epstein case, but that release of the files cannot be haphazard because they need to protect “innocent victims” of Epstein’s – many of them minors – who would be named throughout the files.
“We cannot be careless,” the Louisiana Republican said. “In an open release like that, you have to be very careful.”
The speaker said his conference refuses to participate “in another one of the Democrats’ political games,” saying the Epstein case is a “serious matter.”
He said Democrats did not care about releasing the Epstein files during President Biden’s tenure and only decided to make it an issue because President Trump is in charge.
“The president himself has said that he wants maximum transparency and all credible evidence to be turned over to the American public so that everyone can make their own decisions,” Mr. Johnson said. “We’re owed that, and we want any individual who’s involved in any way in the Epstein evils to be brought to justice as quickly as possible.”
English (US) ·