The bipartisan co-sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, estimated on Sunday that dozens of Republicans will join Democrats on the vote to force a release of the documents.
Newsweek has reached out to Massie’s and Khanna’s press teams for comment via email on Sunday.
Why It Matters
A handful of Republicans joined Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Khanna, a California Democrat, on the petition, including Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. If Republicans provide wide-spread support for the legislation, that would be a rare break from their usual alignment with President Donald Trump.
The upcoming vote on the legislation comes as new information about the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to Trump have emerged. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee last week released some Epstein emails that referenced Trump, renewing scrutiny of their relationship.
Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has said he ended their relationship years before Epstein’s death in 2019. Several of the president’s allies have called the Democrats’ move a “smear” campaign against him.
What To Know
On NBC News’ Meet the Press, Khanna was asked by host Kristen Welker on Sunday whether lawmakers have enough votes to pass the measure.
“We do, and there’s nothing I have been prouder of or more meaningful than this work,” he said. “The credit goes to the survivors.”
The Democrat added that he is “hoping for 40-plus” Republicans to vote in favor of the matter.
Massie also spoke about his party’s support of the legislation on Sunday, saying on ABC News’ This Week that there may be “a deluge of Republicans” who will vote in favor of the matter.
“There could be 100 or more,” the Republican said. “I’m hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote.” Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House.
On Wednesday, newly elected Representative Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, was sworn in and provided the final, necessary signature on a discharge petition to force a House vote on the release of the Epstein files.
That move has forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to hold a vote on the files release. The president has been vocal in his disapproval of the latest rounds of file releases, accusing Democrats of pushing a hoax to distract from their performance, which “only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap,” he wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.
Epstein wrote in a 2011 email that Trump had “spent hours” at his house with a victim of sex trafficking and said in a separate message years later that Trump “knew about the girls.” The documents have renewed scrutiny over what Trump may have known about Epstein’s sexual misconduct. Trump had indicated on the campaign trail last year that he would support the release of documents related to Epstein, and the Trump administration has faced bipartisan criticism for not following through.
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday: “These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, said, in part, in a Sunday X post: “I believe in transparency. That’s why I’ve pushed to release the Epstein files. Survivors deserve the truth, and I won’t apologize for standing with them.”
Representative Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican, wrote in a Friday X post: “I’ll be voting NO on the Epstein Hoax. The Democrats are using the Epstein Hoax to distract us from the winning of President Trump and his administration. My message to my Republican colleagues: Don’t let this noise keep us from delivering on the mandate the American people gave us. President Trump—I stand by you in the fight to save America. I’m not going to let this hoax, manufactured by Democrats, slow us down.”
President Donald Trump said in an Wednesday Truth Social post: “The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects. Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap. The Democrats cost our Country $1.5 Trillion Dollars with their recent antics of viciously closing our Country, while at the same time putting many at risk — and they should pay a fair price. There should be no deflections to Epstein or anything else, and any Republicans involved should be focused only on opening up our Country, and fixing the massive damage caused by the Democrats!”
Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, wrote in part in a November 12 X post: “The Epstein petition is deeply personal…As a survivor I will defend every last attack on President Trump to the death, everywhere. Just like I did on Stephanopoulos because I believe in HIM. And all this fake news, well, it’s just noise. I will NEVER abandon other survivors.”
What Happens Next?
The matter will be brought to a vote on the House floor on this week. Several Epstein survivors will be outside the Capitol on Tuesday for a news conference.
