House Democrats have expressed confidence that they will secure significant Republican support for a bill requiring the Justice Department to release materials related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bill, which would be voted on via a discharge petition, could gain momentum as bipartisan backing emerges, though Senate and presidential approval remain necessary. The political implications of the Epstein files continue to shape the ongoing scrutiny of former President Trump.
Speaker Mike Johnson is scheduled Wednesday afternoon to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat whose addition to the House will provide the 218th vote on a so-called discharge petition — a procedural maneuver that allows rank-and-file members to end-run leadership and force the vote on legislation, in this case the measure demanding the release of the Epstein files.
Assuming the bill gets passed in the House, it would still require approval by the Senate and to be signed into law by President Donald Trump. Senate GOP leaders have not guaranteed they would hold a vote in their chamber.
But Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), the co-sponsor of the bill with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), told reporters Wednesday he believed