If approved, the government would be forced to hand over the Epstein files.
By Catholics for Catholics
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said he would not impede a vote on a bill that would compel the Justice Department to release its Jeffrey Epstein files.
Nevertheless, the speaker called the bill “totally superfluous.” Johnson formally adjourned the House early for the August recess and halted the process to bring the bill to the floor, according to NewsMax.
But House Democrats and a couple of Republicans are pushing the measure forward that would force the government to hand over the probe dossiers on Epstein. Epstein was a millionaire financier who perished in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges that he sex trafficked minors.
“If it hits 218, it comes to the floor,” Johnson said, referring to the discharge petition led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
The petition would oblige a vote if it acquires signatures from a majority of lawmakers, a situation that could happen once Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., is sworn in.
Johnson has postponed seating Grijalva, who won a special election to take the place of her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, until Democrats in the Senate pass House-approved funding legislation. But Democrats have accused Johnson of intentionally stalling to stop the Epstein bill from advancing.
Johnson’s office stated that the pause is purely routine and that Grijalva will be sworn in “when the House returns to session.”
At a press conference earlier Tuesday, Johnson praised the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s investigation into Epstein’s network, saying it had already released more than 43,000 pages of documents, including the disgraced financier’s phone logs, financial ledgers, and calendars, according to Newsmax.
Johnson added that the committee would continue to disclose “credible information” while safeguarding victims’ privacy.
“I’ve met with some of the Epstein victims,” Johnson said. “We’re working around the clock to ensure justice is served — and to understand why it’s been delayed for so long.”
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