Government Shutdown Delays Epstein Files Vote In The House
Source: Huff Post
Oct 6, 2025, 05:03 PM EDT | Updated 10 hours ago
WASHINGTON ― The decision by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to keep the House of Representatives out of session during a government shutdown has a curious side effect: Its delaying a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Johnson canceled votes last week and this week. He said the House will only return after the Senate approves a government funding bill that the House passed before the government shut down last week. So far, Senate Democrats havent budged in their demands for health policy changes.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said the House is actually out of session to thwart his discharge petition to allow a vote on the Justice Departments investigatory files on Epstein. Why are we in recess? Because the day we go back into session, I have 218 votes for the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files, Massie wrote Sunday on social media.
Discharge petitions allow rank-and-file lawmakers to go around party leadership to force votes. Such petitions need 218 signatures to succeed. Massie has 217, and theres a new member waiting to be sworn in who will provide the 218th signature.
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/epstein-files-discharge-petition-house_n_68e41260e4b0bfa6f494dbaa?origin=home-latest-news-unit

2naSalit
(98,069 posts)Members does it take to force a vote to oust the Speaker now? They changed it from one when moses mike got in. Maybe those Rs who want the petition to pass might threaten his sorry ass with replacement.
Javaman
(64,637 posts)spinbaby
(15,331 posts)(Insert sarcasm tag here)
CountAllVotes
(21,997 posts)EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN EPSTEIN
Zorro
(18,003 posts)you just know the Republican response will be "Well, he was a Democrat at that time".