House Republicans block Democratic maneuver to force release of Epstein files

House Republicans on Monday night voted against attaching a Democratic amendment to landmark cryptocurrency legislation that would force the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.Why it matters: It's the outcome Democrats anticipated, and one they plan to gleefully cite as President Trump continues to grapple with the MAGA fallout over the DOJ's handling of the documents."The question with Epstein is: Whose side are you on?" Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), the author of the Epstein measure, told Axios ahead of the vote."Are you on the side of the rich and powerful, or are you on the side of the people?" he said, promising to introduce the amendment "again and again and again."What happened: The House Rules Committee, which prepares legislation for votes on the House floor, voted 5 to 6 against attaching Khanna's amendment to a procedural measure related to the GENIUS Act and a defense funding bill.The measure would have forced Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish all documents related to Epstein on a "publicly accessible website" within 30 days of procedural measure being enacted.Republicans said the amendment was not pertinent to the GENIUS Act, which would create the first regulatory framework for stablecoins, or the defense funding bill.Yes, but: In a rare move, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) crossed over and voted with the panel's four Democrats in favor of attaching the amendment.He told Axios earlier on Monday: "The public's been asking for it. I think there are files. All of a sudden not to have files is a little strange, We'll see how it plays out ... I think the president will do the right thing."Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the other right-wing member of the panel who occasionally breaks with his party, did not vote.What they're saying: "I want to know what the hell is in these files," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, arguing in favor of the resolution."This is about trust. Republicans said, 'Trust us. Vote for us and we will release these files.' Well here we are — they're backtracking," McGovern added."I think most of us believe what's appropriate will be released when it is time for the president to release it," Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the chair of the Rules Committee, said after the vote.Zoom in: McGovern also tried to ram through Rep. Marc Veasey's (D-Texas) five-page resolution demanding that the administration release the Epstein files and that the FBI release a report on "any delays, suppression or destruction of evidence" related to the files.Norman voted with Republicans against that measure, arguing that the Rules Committee "isn't the body to do this." It failed in a 4 to 8 vote."It will be borne out by the legal authorities and by the public," Norman said. "We're talking about crypto, Jim. We're talking about regulations."

Comments

World news

Trump is looking at making money out of Nato – not saving Ukraine

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Dan Bongino’s relationship with the White House is ‘basically untenable’ as rumors of his departure mount

Horror moment kid is carried off in jaws of stray dog pack as he plays by house

Biden denies White House aides granted clemency without his knowledge

House Democrats are trying to force the Trump administration to release the Epstein files

A House Democrat is floating a radical new solution to Congress' age problem

Sales of UK country houses rise as buyers tempted out by lower prices

Reeves to hail fiscal ‘stability’ and City risk-taking in Mansion House speech

Chris Selley: Toronto dares the Carney government to punish it for ignoring housing demands

Obama’s former press secretary recalls ‘emotional’ mood in White House after Trump win

How the DOJ's Epstein memo led to a Dan Bongino White House blowup

House Democrats call for urgent review of deadly Texas flooding as Trump tours disaster zone

When the Threat Is Inside the White House

Alberta, Ottawa putting $203M to building over 2,300 new affordable housing units

White House mercilessly mocked for posting pic of Trump as Superman

Iceberg right ahead! Amazing images show skyscraper-sized frozen blocks drifting towards houses on Greenland's shores

White House opens new front in attack on Fed chief Powell

N.S. official Opposition says province’s housing crisis requires dedicated minister

Neil Sharma: Doug Ford has the power to bring down housing prices. Will he?

Canada’s weak condo market leaves potential house buyers ‘kind of stuck’

Court rejects developer’s bid to turn Sydney boarding house into luxury apartments

World news

Trump is looking at making money out of Nato – not saving Ukraine

Watch: Spectacular firework and drone display lights up Eiffel Tower for Bastille Day

Trump ‘not done with Putin yet’ despite threat of Russian sanctions

Trump issues 50-day peace ultimatum to Putin: ‘I’m very unhappy with him’

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky names new PM after Trump threatens Putin with ‘severe’ tariffs

Camp Mystic reportedly waited an hour to evacuate after warnings of ‘life-threatening’ Texas floods

Mary Earps: I’m proud of my England legacy but I can’t control how others see it

The middle class has become the Government’s cash machine

Why Trump’s Turnberry golf course keeps being overlooked to host the Open

Humiliated Trump has finally realised Putin’s game – but he’s still scared to hurt him

No Rachel Reeves, stretching first-time buyers’ loans won’t fix the housing crisis

I plan to work until I’m 70 – can I get a 30-year mortgage aged 40?

The four benefits of Reeves’s new mortgage scheme for £30k earners – and four risks

My toddler caught measles despite being vaccinated – it was terrifying

I used ChatGPT to get my dream job in three months – here’s what to do and avoid

My £900 nursery fees are double what they’d be in France – why I still chose UK

Bangladesh struggles to contain the fallout of an uprising that toppled its leader

'Hippo ate me whole and ripped off my skin but I just felt relief inside its jaws'

I'm 'disappointed but not done' with Putin, Trump tells BBC

Ethiopian troops 'executed' aid workers in Tigray war, charity says

Trump’s DOJ urges Supreme Court to reject appeal from Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell

Bangladesh struggles to contain the fallout of an uprising that toppled its leader last year

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump threatens Putin with ‘severe tariffs’ as he pledges Patriot missiles for Kyiv

Sycamore Gap tree vandals to learn their fate

Rich Countries Stockpiling Critical Minerals Is Not a Plan

Top waterproof gear for your summer adventures

China growth slows less than expected in face of Trump tariffs

Meta to spend hundreds of billions to build AI data centres

Animals react to secret sounds from plants, say scientists

Tuesday Briefing: More Weapons for Ukraine

Top Republicans rally around Bondi as MAGA rages over Epstein

NVIDIA to resume chips sales to China

Supreme Court gives Trump green light to fire Education Department workers

House Republicans block Democratic maneuver to force release of Epstein files

NYC under flash flood warning, NJ declares emergency amid heavy rains

Cuomo staying in New York mayoral race, bashes Mamdani's "slick slogans"

Schoen, Bryant miss practice following bye week for Winnipeg Blue Bombers

B.C. grocer avoids selling U.S. produce for 117 days in what expert calls a ‘real’ boycott

Dr. Oz tells Americans on Medicaid ‘don’t eat carrot cake’ as millions face health insurance cuts

Grounded flights cause travel chaos after storms force New York City flood watch

Unreleased music from Beyoncé stolen from choreographer’s car in Atlanta, police say

Electric car buyers to get ten per cent government discount

Nearly 400 Jewish groups urge teachers' union NEA to reject ban on ADL material

Alberta high school students gain hands-on STEM experience

Fire displaces more than 100 residents of Surrey condo building

Changes in wind direction could blow wildfire smoke into southwestern B.C.

FIFA World Cup 2026 hospitality tickets released — starting at $2,500 each

7 year sentence for man convicted of manslaughter in fatal Belvedere LRT stabbing

India can't wish away coal - but can it be made cleaner?

'Heart-breaking': Locals and visitors devastated by loss of Grand Canyon Lodge

Behind Trump’s Tough Talk on Russia and Putin, Doubts and Missing Details

Concerns surround century-old Stephen Avenue water main as repairs paused

Manitoba researchers look at potential impact of wildfires on polar bear denning habitat

Second victim of alleged Kelowna hammer attack mourns the loss of friend

Suspects pretending to be teen’s girlfriend lured him to a park so they could kill him, cops say

Teenager dies after falling into a meat grinder at food processing factory in California

New Jersey woman nearly dies after taking dangerous amount of popular supplement: ‘I was very, very, very scared’