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CTV News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Johnson shuts door on House vote before September on releasing Epstein files
House Speaker Mike Johnson, seen here on June 24, said on July 21 that he does not plan to allow votes on any measures related to the Jeffrey Epstein case in the House's final week in Washington before a weekslong recess. (Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday said he does not plan to allow votes on any measures related to the Jeffrey Epstein case in the House's final week in Washington before a weekslong recess, despite intense pressure from some of his own GOP members to go on the record on the issue. Some of U.S. President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters in Congress have been pressing party leaders to allow for a vote to show they support transparency around the Epstein saga — an issue that continues to animate the MAGA base even as Trump has repeatedly sought to blame Democrats for fanning the flames. The House forcing the Trump administration to turn over materials against its will would represent a remarkable rebuke of the president by his base. But the push has shown little forward momentum among the party's leadership on Capitol Hill. Johnson told CNN on Monday the full House would not vote on a pending measure from members of his own party – a non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional Epstein files – before the chamber's August recess, which is slated to begin at week's end. 'My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that, but I don't think we're at that point right now, because we agree with the president,' he said. As part of a deal to approve the White House's rescissions package last week, Johnson reached an accord with GOP holdouts that allowed the House Rules Committee to advance that non-binding resolution calling for the Epstein files release. But it is unclear if that measure will make it to the House floor, with Johnson firmly standing behind Trump on the matter. 'There is no daylight between the House Republicans … the House and the president on maximum transparency,' Johnson said, adding that Trump wants 'all the credible files' on Epstein to be released and asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce grand jury testimony related to the case and 'all of that is in process right now.' Still, a bipartisan group of House members — led by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie — is seeking to circumvent Johnson and force a vote on a separate bill calling for the release of the files. Massie will need a majority of House members to sign on to what's known as a discharge petition to force a floor vote. That measure wouldn't be considered by the full House until after Labor Day at the earliest if Massie is successful. Johnson's leadership team had been privately signaling they would not bring up any Epstein measures this week, two Republicans familiar with the matter told CNN. Enough GOP support secured to force vote Ten House Republicans have now signed onto Massie's measure – a level of GOP support that would trigger a full vote by the GOP-controlled House on the measure if all Democrats supported it, as expected. But don't expect a new tranche of documents to immediately be made public. A vote to compel the full House to consider the effort can't come until after Labor Day at the earliest when lawmakers return from their five-week summer recess. That's because Massie and California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna are using a discharge petition. That procedural maneuver requires seven legislative days before House lawmakers can formally collect the necessary signatures. Once they prove they have support from 218 members, it would force party leaders to bring it to the floor. Trump's attorney general has asked for grand jury material to be made public – which also is likely to be a slow-moving effort, and one that requires court approval. But the Massie and Khanna measure goes significantly further, requiring the Trump administration to release 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials' related to Epstein within 30 days. It would also require the White House to release a 'list of all government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials' — a list that Trump's base has been demanding. Khanna previously told CNN's Jake Tapper that he would deliver 'all 212 Democrats' on the measure. While many Democrats previously decried the promotion of conspiracy theories about Epstein, they have in recent days pushed for greater transparency, arguing Trump is trying to protect himself and aiming to further drive a wedge between Trump and his base. 'Why do we think President Joe Biden or President Barack Obama's names are being invoked because Donald Trump is running scared, and the Trump administration is running scared. What are they hiding from the American people, release the files so that the American people can make a decision on their own,' House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters during a press conference Monday. With all Democrats behind the effort, 10 Republicans would be more than enough to meet the necessary 218 threshold. Along with Massie, the Republicans already on board are: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Max Miller of Ohio and Nancy Mace of South Carolina. The move, of course, could end as many things in Congress do – with a lot of talk, a little corresponding action. Last week, Republicans held up a vote to approve a US$9 billion package of spending cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting, something Trump wanted, as they debated what to do on the Epstein case. They settled for the non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional files – which doesn't immediately force any action and to which Johnson has been noncommittal. Even continued talk of the Epstein case, though, is likely to irk Trump. Over the weekend, the president seemed to acknowledge the intractability of the subject as he noted he had ordered the release of grand jury materials. 'With that being said, and even if the Court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more. MAGA!' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. By Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris and Alison Main. CNN's Nicky Robertson and Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
New York Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Johnson Retreats on Demand for Epstein Disclosures, Saying Trump Needs ‘Space'
Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that he would not hold a House vote this summer on whether the Justice Department should release files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, retreating from his demand last week that the material must come out. Reacting to intense pressure from the angry MAGA base, Mr. Johnson had on Tuesday showed a rare glimpse of daylight between himself and Mr. Trump, who was imploring his supporters to move on from the matter. 'We should put everything out there and let the people decide,' Mr. Johnson had said on 'The Benny Show' when asked about the Justice Department's investigation into Mr. Epstein. 'I agree with the sentiment that we need to — we need to put it out there.' The Rules Committee, a powerful panel controlled by the speaker, had even approved a measure that would bring to the floor a resolution calling for the disclosures, though Republicans gave no timetable for voting on it. Less than a week later, the speaker reverted to his more familiar posture of deferring to the president. 'We need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing,' Mr. Johnson told reporters at the Capitol on Monday when asked about holding a House vote on releasing the investigative files. 'If further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that,' Mr. Johnson said. But he added that there would be no vote on the Epstein files before the House departs on Thursday for a six-week summer break, saying, 'I don't think we're at that point yet, because we agree with the president.' Mr. Johnson was able to obtain his gavel and has been able to keep it because of his unshakable loyalty to Mr. Trump. His initial call for the release of the Epstein files when Mr. Trump was asking for the opposite underscored how the case had created an unusual and deep split between the president and his supporters. But the speaker's reversal suggests that Mr. Trump's efforts to quell the unrest in his political base over the matter may be succeeding. Mr. Johnson implied that his concerns about transparency had been alleviated, for now, by Mr. Trump's move to authorize Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the public release of grand jury testimony from the prosecution of Mr. Epstein. That is a far cry from the breadth of information the president's supporters have demanded, yet it appeared to be enough to persuade the speaker. 'There is no daylight between the House Republicans, the House and the president on maximum transparency,' Mr. Johnson said on Monday. 'He has asked the attorney general to request the grand jury files of the court; all of that is in process.' It remains to be seen whether the president will be able to appease his supporters by selectively releasing material. But Mr. Johnson's quick turnaround indicated that he intends to slow walk, or stymie, a floor vote that could potentially damage Mr. Trump. Still, Mr. Johnson cannot control all of his members, some of whom are still channeling the angry base and have joined a long-shot bipartisan push to force a vote on the matter within weeks. 'If you tell the base of people, who support you, of deep state treasonous crimes, election interference, blackmail, and rich powerful elite evil cabals, then you must take down every enemy of The People,' Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, wrote on social media on Monday. 'If not. The base will turn and there's no going back. Dangling bits of red meat no longer satisfies. They want the whole steak dinner and will accept nothing else.'
CNN
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Johnson shuts door on House vote before September on releasing Epstein files
Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday said he does not plan to allow votes on any measures related to the Jeffrey Epstein case in the House's final week in Washington before a weekslong recess, despite intense pressure from some of his own GOP members to go on the record on the issue. Some of President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters in Congress have been pressing party leaders to allow for a vote to show they support transparency around the Epstein saga — an issue that continues to animate the MAGA base even as Trump has repeatedly sought to blame Democrats for fanning the flames. The House forcing the Trump administration to turn over materials against its will would represent a remarkable rebuke of the president by his base. But the push has shown little forward momentum among the party's leadership on Capitol Hill. Johnson told CNN on Monday the full House would not vote on a pending measure from members of his own party – a non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional Epstein files – before the chamber's August recess, which is slated to begin at week's end. 'My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that, but I don't think we're at that point right now, because we agree with the president,' he said. As part of a deal to approve the White House's rescissions package last week, Johnson reached an accord with GOP holdouts that allowed the House Rules Committee to advance that non-binding resolution calling for the Epstein files release. But it is unclear if that measure will make it to the House floor, with Johnson firmly standing behind Trump on the matter. 'There is no daylight between the House Republicans … the House and the president on maximum transparency,' Johnson said, adding that Trump wants 'all the credible files' on Epstein to be released and asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce grand jury testimony related to the case and 'all of that is in process right now.' Still, a bipartisan group of House members — led by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie — is seeking to circumvent Johnson and force a vote on a separate bill calling for the release of the files. Massie will need a majority of House members to sign on to what's known as a discharge petition to force a floor vote. That measure wouldn't be considered by the full House until after Labor Day at the earliest if Massie is successful. Johnson's leadership team had been privately signaling they would not bring up any Epstein measures this week, two Republicans familiar with the matter told CNN. Ten House Republicans have now signed onto Massie's measure – a level of GOP support that would trigger a full vote by the GOP-controlled House on the measure if all Democrats supported it, as expected. But don't expect a new tranche of documents to immediately be made public. A vote to compel the full House to consider the effort can't come until after Labor Day at the earliest when lawmakers return from their five-week summer recess. That's because Massie and California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna are using a discharge petition. That procedural maneuver requires seven legislative days before House lawmakers can formally collect the necessary signatures. Once they prove they have support from 218 members, it would force party leaders to bring it to the floor. Trump's attorney general has asked for grand jury material to be made public – which also is likely to be a slow-moving effort, and one that requires court approval. But the Massie and Khanna measure goes significantly further, requiring the Trump administration to release 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials' related to Epstein within 30 days. It would also require the White House to release a 'list of all government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials' — a list that Trump's base has been demanding. Khanna previously told CNN's Jake Tapper that he would deliver 'all 212 Democrats' on the measure. While many Democrats previously decried the promotion of conspiracy theories about Epstein, they have in recent days pushed for greater transparency, arguing Trump is trying to protect himself and aiming to further drive a wedge between Trump and his base. 'Why do we think President Joe Biden or President Barack Obama's names are being invoked because Donald Trump is running scared, and the Trump administration is running scared. What are they hiding from the American people, release the files so that the American people can make a decision on their own,' House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters during a press conference Monday. With all Democrats behind the effort, 10 Republicans would be more than enough to meet the necessary 218 threshold. Along with Massie, the Republicans already on board are: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eric Burlison of Missouri, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Max Miller of Ohio and Nancy Mace of South Carolina. The move, of course, could end as many things in Congress do – with a lot of talk, a little corresponding action. Last week, Republicans held up a vote to approve a $9 billion package of spending cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting, something Trump wanted, as they debated what to do on the Epstein case. They settled for the non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional files – which doesn't immediately force any action and to which Johnson has been noncommittal. Even continued talk of the Epstein case, though, is likely to irk Trump. Over the weekend, the president seemed to acknowledge the intractability of the subject as he noted he had ordered the release of grand jury materials. 'With that being said, and even if the Court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more. MAGA!' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
211 House Republicans Vote to Block Release of Epstein Files
House Republicans on Tuesday blocked a Democratic attempt to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files, with zero Republicans supporting the measure. The final vote was 211 to 210. One Republican with a spine would have tipped the scale and given the American people greater transparency on the Epstein saga. Democrats tried to force a vote on releasing the files, after Republicans struck down an amendment in the House Rules committee on Monday evening. The procedural maneuver, which would have triggered a vote on the amendment requiring Trump's Justice Department to release the Epstein files within 30 days, was rejected yet again, with all 211 opposing votes coming from Republicans. Nine Republicans abstained from the vote. The nine Republicans who chose not to vote were: Andy Ogles (TN), Michael McCaul (TX), Thomas Massie (KY), Barry Loudermilk (GA), Wesley Hunt (TX), Morgan Lutrell (TX), Mark Green (TN), Monica De La Cruz (TX), and Buddy Carter (GA). Even Republicans who have been particularly vocal about the Epstein files, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, voted against allowing debate on the amendment. Democratic Representative Mary Gay Scanlon offered the motion to trigger the vote on the amendment, which was first introduced by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna. The Epstein files have become a major point of contention within the MAGA movement, as the base expresses anger and frustration towards the Trump administration for dismissing a case that has fueled their political actions for years now. Republicans have decided that protecting the president and his friends is more important than fulfilling promises they made to their most loyal voters, and the American people at large. The House GOP had a real chance to take a stand and demand that the Epstein files be released to the public. They chose not to. This story has been updated.
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Powell Should 'Consider Resigning' Amid Trump Criticism, Says Rep. Smith
Missouri Republican Congressman Jason Smith, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, talks the future of cryptocurrency regulation and normalization as the house prepares to vote on crypto bills this week. He also weighs in on President Trump's continued criticism of fed chair Jerome Powell. (Source: Bloomberg)
