Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has said he will not prevent a vote on legislation to make the Jeffrey Epstein files public, as the chamber remains in recess due to the ongoing government shutdown. The Republican leader told Politico that if a discharge petition reaches 218 signatures, the bill will come to the floor for a vote.
The discharge petition, aimed at forcing a vote on releasing documents from the federal investigation into Epstein, is one signature short of the threshold. All House Democrats and four Republicans have signed, with the final expected signature from Adelita Grijalva, a newly elected Arizona Democrat. However, Johnson has refused to swear her in until the House reconvenes, which he says will not happen until the government reopens.
The government shutdown has entered its 21st day, with no resolution in sight. Johnson argued that the discharge petition is unnecessary, citing a bipartisan House oversight committee investigation into Epstein that has already released tens of thousands of pages. Democrat Ro Khanna, a co-sponsor of the petition, called Johnson's comments 'a big deal' and urged for Grijalva to be sworn in.
Even if the House approves the bill, it must pass the Republican-controlled Senate and be signed by President Trump, who opposes the release and has labelled the controversy a 'Democrat hoax'. Meanwhile, the Senate remains deadlocked over a continuing resolution to fund the government, with Democrats demanding extensions to Affordable Care Act subsidies and curbs on Trump's spending powers.
