Latest news with #politicalgames
Irish Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Top Republican Mike Johnson shuts US Congress early to avoid Epstein vote
The Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives will send members of Congress home early to avoid a vote on releasing files relating to Jeffrey Epstein , as Donald Trump 's allies seek to contain a spiralling crisis over the administration's handling of the case. The House of Representatives is set to be in recess from Wednesday for five weeks, a day earlier than scheduled, and is not expected to return until September. Mr Johnson said on Tuesday that Democrats were playing 'political games' by trying to force votes on measures that would require the US Department of Justice to release documents relating to the life and death of the disgraced financier. Several Republican House members have also called for the so-called 'Epstein files' to be made public, as some of the loudest voices in Trump's Maga movement have demanded greater transparency. READ MORE A memo by the DoJ and FBI this month stated there was no 'credible evidence' that the disgraced financier 'blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions' and that an Epstein 'client list' did not exist. The furore was fuelled last week when the Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Trump had sent Epstein a birthday message in 2003 that referred to 'secrets' and contained a lewd drawing. Mr Trump has since sued the newspaper and its owner Rupert Murdoch , alleging libel and demanding $10 billion in damages. But as he moved for an early recess on Tuesday, Mr Johnson pinned the blame on the opposition, saying Democrats were using the Epstein case as a 'political battering ram'. 'We're not going to allow them to engage in that charade any more,' Mr Johnson said at a news conference. 'We're done being lectured on transparency.' He complained about 'endless efforts to politicise the Epstein investigation'. 'We're not going to play political games with this,' he said, wrapping up his final news conference before September. [ Lack of Epstein 'client list' testing Maga Republicans' faith in Trump to the limits Opens in new window ] After initially saying the material should come out, Mr Johnson on Monday vowed that he would not schedule a vote this summer on whether to release the Epstein files, saying that Mr Trump needed 'space' to determine how to proceed. On Tuesday he said Republicans were united on the issue. Mr Johnson's intervention came as Mr Trump and his allies seek to stamp out criticism of his administration's handling of the Epstein case. A top Department of Justice official earlier on Tuesday said he would meet Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted for helping lure underage girls for Epstein, for possible evidence. 'If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DoJ will hear what she has to say,' deputy attorney-general Todd Blanche said. He said he had contacted the lawyer for Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence and intended 'to meet with her soon'. Mr Trump has repeatedly railed against public interest in the case in recent weeks. But asked about Mr Blanche's intervention on Tuesday, Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: 'I didn't know that they were going to do it. I don't really follow that too much ... It's a witch-hunt, just a continuation of a witch-hunt.' Republicans had planned votes this week on an immigration measure, a permitting Bill and a rollback of some Biden-era regulations. But the House Rules Committee, the powerful panel controlled by the speaker that determines which legislation reaches the floor, has been upended by the Epstein issue, with Democrats repeatedly demanding votes on it. Democrats on the committee vowed to force such a vote again this week as part of a routine measure to allow debate on unrelated legislation. But Republicans did not want to go on the record on the matter, for fear of retribution from angry supporters who are demanding the release of the Epstein files. The result is that the house cannot move ahead on any substantive legislation. Republicans now plan to wrap up votes on Tuesday and early Wednesday on some non-controversial Bills and call their recess by midafternoon on Wednesday. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Johnson sending House home early amid push to force Epstein files vote
Washington — The House will leave town early for its monthlong summer break as members clash over the release of files related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The lower chamber was originally scheduled to be in session through Thursday, but votes were scrapped as Democrats and some Republicans push for a floor vote to force the release of the Epstein files. Lawmakers will now head home until Sept. 2, after votes on Wednesday afternoon. On Monday night, the Epstein controversy disrupted another House Rules Committee meeting — the last hurdle for most legislation before it gets a floor vote — when Democrats threatened to make Republicans take more uncomfortable votes on Epstein-related amendments. The committee instead recessed for the remainder of the week, blocking the House from passing legislation with a simple majority. The House can still bypass the committee and approve noncontroversial legislation with a two-thirds majority. House Speaker Mike Johnson accused Democrats of playing "political games." "We all understand that the America first agenda and the American people are best served by putting an end to the Democrat side shows, and that's what we're doing by not allowing the Rules Committee to continue with that nonsense this week," the Louisiana Republican said. "We are not going to let them use this as a political battering ram. The Rules Committee became the ground for them to do that," he said. House Republicans last week offered a resolution that carries no legal weight to make the Epstein files public as they faced increasing pressure on an issue that has split President Trump's base. But Johnson said Monday there would not be a vote on the issue before Congress' August recess. "There's no purpose for Congress to push an administration to do something that they're already doing," Johnson reiterated Tuesday. Last week, the Justice Department formally asked a federal judge to unseal transcripts from grand jury proceedings at the direction of Mr. Trump. Numerous lawmakers have said that their offices are fielding calls from constituents wanting more information released. "I don't think this issue is going away over August," Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said. Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California introduced a measure that would force the Justice Department to release Epstein-related files within 30 days. Massie plans to force a floor vote on the legislation once lawmakers return in September. "I'm not quite certain what his strategy is," Johnson said. "I don't understand Thomas Massie's motivation. I really don't. I don't know how his mind works. I don't know what he's thinking. Thomas Massie could have brought his discharge petition anytime over the last four and a half years." "When the speaker stands in the way of justice and transparency, this is how we get justice," Massie said Monday. Grand jury testimony is "like one of 12 things that we need," he said, adding, "I do believe that there are some things that need to be brought to the American public's knowledge that have happened that will be embarrassing."Ellis Kim contributed to this report.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Johnson Cuts Short House Session to Avoid Vote on Releasing Epstein Files
Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday announced he was cutting short the week's legislative business and sending the House home early for the summer on Wednesday to avoid having to hold votes on releasing files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. He made the move to deny Democrats the chance to try to force procedural votes on measures that would call on the Justice Department to make the information public. It reflected how deep divisions among Republicans on the matter have now paralyzed the House, as Republicans seek to avoid a politically perilous vote on a matter that is confounding President Trump and roiling their MAGA base. 'We're done being lectured on transparency,' Mr. Johnson said at a news conference, where the typically unflappable speaker appeared frustrated. He complained about 'endless efforts to politicize the Epstein investigation' and added: 'We're not going to play political games with this,' as he wrapped up his final news conference before September. Republicans had planned votes this week on an immigration measure, a permitting bill and a rollback of some Biden-era regulations. But the House Rules Committee, the powerful panel controlled by the speaker that determines which legislation reaches the floor, has been upended by the Epstein issue, with Democrats repeatedly demanding votes on it. Democrats on the committee vowed to force such a vote again this week as part of a routine measure to allow debate on unrelated legislation. But Republicans did not want to go on the record on the matter, for fear of retribution from angry supporters who are demanding the release of Epstein files. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
