US House Speaker Johnson faces heat over delay of Epstein files vote
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A congressional standoff has erupted in the US after Speaker Mike Johnson extended the House recess, delaying a decisive vote on releasing the redacted Jeffrey Epstein files amid growing bipartisan pressure for full transparency.
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US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., does a television interview with FOX News on the third day of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, October 3, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A heated dispute has erupted in Washington after House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to keep lawmakers on recess during the ongoing government shutdown effectively froze a vote to release the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein files.
The pause has sparked bipartisan frustration, with both Democrats and several Republicans accusing Johnson of deliberately stalling the discharge petition spearheaded by Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). "Why are we in recess? Because the day we go back into session, I have 218 votes for the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files," Massie posted on X on Sunday.
The government is shutdown, but the House refuses to go back in session.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) October 5, 2025
Why are we in recess?
Because the day we go back into session, I have 218 votes for the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.@SpeakerJohnson doesn't want that to be the news.
Johnson rejected those accusations as "totally absurd." "This has nothing to do with that. It's another red herring," he said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press. "I want every page of this out." He insisted that the extended recess was designed to pressure Senate Democrats into accepting the GOP's temporary funding measure amid the budget deadlock.
But Democrats say Johnson's explanation doesn't hold up. "Johnson and the House Republicans care more about protecting the Epstein files than protecting the American people," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said at a press conference Friday.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), one of four Republicans who signed Massie's petition, also voiced frustration with the delay. "The House has so much work to do, why aren't we coming back in session?" she told Axios. "Not being in session certainly does avoid the Epstein discharge petition, which I've never understood why it's anything to hide. Aren't we all against convicted pedophiles and anyone who enables them?"
What's at Stake: The Epstein Files
The records in question include thousands of pages of documents from the Department of Justice's 2025 disclosure, materials that survivors, lawmakers, and journalists say remain heavily redacted. Advocates argue that unsealing the files could reveal networks of power, wealth, and influence surrounding Epstein's trafficking operation, which allegedly involved high-profile figures in politics, business, and academia.
In August, the House Oversight Committee released more than 33,000 pages of Epstein-related documents, but critics say the most sensitive information, including flight manifests, deposition transcripts, and internal FBI communications, was withheld. The Department of Justice maintains that there is "no credible evidence of a client list" and has resisted further releases, citing privacy and national security concerns.
Calls for transparency have intensified following the US Supreme Court's decision last week to reject Ghislaine Maxwell's final appeal, effectively upholding her 20-year prison sentence. Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking minors and has since alleged that prosecutors withheld evidence that could expose others involved. Her legal team is reportedly exploring the possibility of seeking a presidential pardon.
Read more: Elon Musk, Peter Thiel named in newly released Epstein documents
A vote hanging by one signature
Massie's petition to compel a vote on full disclosure has gained 217 signatures, one short of the 218 needed to force floor consideration. That final signature would come from Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who won a special election nearly two weeks ago but cannot sign until she is sworn in.
Democrats have demanded that Johnson allow her to take the oath immediately, noting that past House speakers have sworn in new members during recess. Florida Republicans Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis were both sworn in within 24 hours of their elections earlier this year. Johnson, however, canceled votes scheduled for September 29 and 30 and has said Grijalva will be sworn in only when the House reconvenes.
Political and legal fallout
For many in Congress, the battle over the Epstein files has become symbolic of broader mistrust in government transparency and elite accountability. The issue unites unlikely allies across the political spectrum, from progressive Democrats calling for justice for victims to conservative populists railing against "institutional cover-ups."
Despite pressure from party leadership and the White House, Massie said the four Republican signatories have no intention of backing down. "They're solid. They're not moving," he told Axios. Greene reaffirmed, "I'm not coming off [the] discharge petition."
