Saturday, August 02, 2025

ANNALS OF TRUMPI$TAN: House largely grinds to a halt over Epstein files (Marianna Sotomayor and Kadia Goba, WaPo, July 22, 2025)

This is so wrong. Enough Trumpery, flummery, dupery and nincompoopery from the haughty, other-directed Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, estimable, JAMES MICHAEL JOHNSON (R-Louisiana), former lawyer for the Alliance Defending Freedom. 

House largely grinds to a halt over Epstein files

Republicans on the House Rules Committee continue to oppose allowing any legislation to reach the House floor for a vote this week. That’s because they fear Democrats will introduce amendments related to Epstein. Democrats on the panel did so twice last week, and Republicans faced blowback from constituents and the MAGA base for voting against releasing the files.

2 min
Some of his members are mad at House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) for refusing to hold a floor vote on releasing the Epstein files before they go gome for August recess. (Allison Robbert/For The Washington Post)

The House has largely come to a halt as Republican leaders struggle to assuage an irate group of lawmakers who are demanding that the Justice Department release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Republicans on the House Rules Committee continue to oppose allowing any legislation to reach the House floor for a vote this week. That’s because they fear Democrats will introduce amendments related to Epstein. Democrats on the panel did so twice last week, and Republicans faced blowback from constituents and the MAGA base for voting against releasing the files.

Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) told reporters Tuesday morning that the panel may not meet again until “possibly” September, meaning the House will not vote on any legislation this week that isn’t overwhelmingly bipartisan.

Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) told reporters Tuesday morning that the panel may not meet again until “possibly” September, meaning the House will not vote on any legislation this week that isn’t overwhelmingly bipartisan.

Moments later, leadership announced that the House would start its August recess as soon as Wednesday.

Lawmakers across the ideological spectrum, including the conservative House Freedom Caucus, have since protested a decision by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) not to vote on a nonbinding resolution expressing their concerns over the Epstein matter before they head home to their districts. Johnson said during a news conference Tuesday that he continues to be for “maximum transparency,” but he clearly expressed frustration with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), who continues to press for a vote on releasing the files.

“Let me just say about Thomas Massie, could you just accept my Southern, ‘bless his heart.’ I don’t know what else to say about it,” Johnson said.

But other Republicans are making clear they want action sooner rather than later when lawmakers return in September.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee) introduced a motion to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and a convicted sex offender now serving time in federal prison. The motion was unanimously adopted by the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday.

1 comment:

Jerry said...

We wish David Shoar was back but he had to go make some money. That's understandable because these guys really don't make much yet they serve our community for so long.