House Republicans on the Rules Committee voted down a Democratic amendment Thursday night to advance a bipartisan bill calling for the release of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, and instead unveiled their own non-binding resolution on the matter that won’t receive an immediate floor vote.
The House GOP conference is under rising pressure from constituents to provide more transparency around the Epstein matter. Republicans devised this measure as a way to respond to this pressure, as well as Democratic attacks over the Epstein case — while also breaking an impasse over advancing Trump’s $9 billion rescissions package before a Friday deadline.
Republicans on the Rules Committee plan to report out two rules Thursday night. The first will advance the rescissions package and, once it’s approved on the House floor, it will effectively clear the package for final passage without requiring a second vote.
The second rule will include the non-binding resolution calling for the release of documents related to Epstein, the late-disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, which Republicans say protects victim privacy since it would not compel the immediate unsealing of the materials. That second rule will not get a vote on the House floor Thursday night.
As the Rules Committee was meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social that he has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi “to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval.”
Democrats continue to press for a vote on the bipartisan resolution from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) that would make the materials public.
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