Rep. Ro Khanna Says Mike Johnson's Decision To Shut Down The House Early Speaks Volumes
Johnson on Tuesday canceled upcoming votes, announcing he would send lawmakers home for a five-week recess on Wednesday evening, while calling the controversy around the Epstein files a 'Democrat sideshow.'
In an interview with CNN's 'AC360,' Khanna, one of the Democrats leading the bipartisan effort to release the documents, said Johnson took action because he knew their resolution had the votes to pass and he didn't 'want to embarrass the members of his own caucus.'
Khanna added that their resolution has secured the approval of several GOP members, including Thomas Massie (Ky.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Nancy Mace (S.C.) and Tim Burchett (Tenn.).
'I don't think they've ever in my entire nine years in Congress, sponsored any legislation that I've introduced,' Khanna said.
'So this is something that he knows his base wants. It would overwhelmingly pass, and so he's literally closing Congress because he doesn't want to vote on our bill, or any bill or any amendment related to the release of the Epstein files,' Khanna told CNN's John Berman of Johnson.
Asked if he believed Trump pushed Johnson to call for an early recess, Khanna said the president was most likely involved in the decision, citing Johnson's reluctance to put up a nonbinding resolution calling on the White House to release the files up for a vote.
'The president simply does not want [Johnson] to have any vote on any bill or any amendment regarding Epstein,' Khanna said. 'But this issue is not going away.'
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee agreed in a voice vote to ask Epstein collaborator Ghislaine Maxwell to provide a deposition. Separately, the Justice Department also wants to speak to Maxwell.
The president's relationship to Epstein is getting fresh scrutiny after CNN on Wednesday released images of him attending Trump's wedding to Marla Maples in 1993 as well as video of the two men attending a Victoria's Secret event in 1999.
When CNN approached Trump for comment on the unearthed wedding photos, Trump replied: 'You've got to be kidding me,' before blasting the network as 'fake news' and ending the call.
The network's reporting follows a Wall Street Journal report last week stating that the newspaper reviewed a 'bawdy' birthday message Trump wrote to Epstein in 2003 as part of a surprise put together by Maxwell. Trump blasted the report as fake and sued the paper and its owner Rupert Murdoch over its contents.
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