Speaker Mike Johnson said the House will vote next week on a bill forcing the Justice Department to release the full, unclassified files on Jeffrey Epstein — despite his own longstanding opposition to the discharge petition that prompted the vote.
“It’s a completely pointless exercise,” Mike Johnson said Wednesday (Nov. 12). “It’s completely debatable now. We might as well do it. I mean, they have 218 signatures, that’s fine. We’ll do it.”
House GOP leaders did not specify when the vote would take place.
What the Epstein Files Transparency Act would do
The legislation — the Epstein Files Transparency Act — requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified Justice Department records related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The bill directs the Justice Department to publish a searchable, downloadable archive of:
-Records of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-Names of people connected to Epstein’s criminal activity
-Details of civil plea agreements, immunity agreements, plea agreements or non-prosecution agreements
-DoJ internal communications about decisions to charge or not to charge Epstein or associates
-Information regarding Epstein’s federal incarceration and death
Redaction required
The AG may withhold or modify documents containing:
-Personally identifiable information of victims
-Victims’ medical or personal files
– Child sexual abuse material
-Information compromising an active federal investigation (temporary and narrowly tailored)
How the vote in the House could turn out
Option 1: Vote by rule (simple majority required)
If the Republican leadership subdues the bill:
-Needs 217 votes (out of 433 members) for approval.
– First he has to clear the House committee.
-Debate on the rule, then debate on the bill, followed by a final vote.
– Nearest possible vote: Tuesday.
With bipartisan support and 218 signatures on the discharge petition already secured, passage through this method is highly likely.
Option 2: Suspend the rules (a two-thirds majority is needed)
After suspension, the bill would require 289 votes.
All 214 Democrats + 4 GOP petition signers would still leave a gap of about 70 Republican votes needed.
The GOP leadership currently expects 40-50 Republicans to support it, well beyond the threshold.
If Speaker Johnson chooses that route, the vote could take place Monday night when the House returns.
Read also | Epstein emails shocking: Did Trump know about the girls? — Here’s what the files reveal
What happens if the House passes the bill?
If the bill passes the House, it will move to the Senate.
The fate of the senate is uncertain
Majority Leader John Thune is not required to take it up. While he says he supports transparency, he hasn’t committed to planning a vote.
If Congress sends a bill to the President
Even if the Senate passes it, President Donald Trump is expected to veto the bill.
Congress would then need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override the veto — an extremely high bar.
Read also | Epstein’s email mentions “Bubba,” prompting speculation — is he Bill Clinton?
