Epstein files discharge petition approaches critical threshold

A tiny group of stubborn House Republicans is poised to force an embarrassing vote for the Trump White House.Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-Ky.) Epstein files discharge petition can sew up its 218th signature Tuesday in a special election in Arizona.Why it matters: For House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), it's a tough reminder of the limits of his power. For Trump, it's a rare case in which GOP lawmakers openly defy his sustained pressure.🥊 Massie is pitching a select group of his GOP colleagues to sign on to his petition that would force a vote on releasing the files associated with the investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein."Don't let it be a Democrat who's the 218th signature. Let it be a Republican. That would be good for us to signal we want transparency," Massie told Axios. But Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat, is widely expected to win the race Tuesday to replace her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), in Arizona's 7th District.She plans to sign the discharge petition if elected, a spokesperson told Axios.Zoom in: Johnson has urged his conference to stay clear of the petition, saying that Oversight's probe will ultimately yield more information.But GOP Reps. Nancy Mace (S.C.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (Colo.) have kept their names on the petition."They're solid. They're not moving," Massie told Axios before recess about his co-signers.Between the lines: Johnson has tucked language in party-line procedural measures to kill discharge petitions.He faced blowback when he employed the tactic to quash a proxy voting discharge petition in April, but he used the ensuing stalemate to negotiate a quiet end to the issue.House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) told reporters this month her panel would not block a floor vote on the petition.What's next: If Adelita Grijalava is elected, it is expected she would be sworn in when Congress returns from recess in early October.That would tee up a floor vote on releasing the files in mid-October.

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