As the Republican-led House prepared to adjourn for its summer recess, Democrats launched a coordinated push to spotlight the unresolved issue of releasing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, using amendment after amendment to press the matter in multiple committee hearings.
The flurry of activity, spanning from Oversight to Financial Services to Education and the Workforce, succeeded in grinding House business to a halt and ultimately prompted Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to cancel Thursday’s final votes, sending members home a day early.
Democrats were united around a single aim: forcing Republicans to take uncomfortable votes on Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender whose shadow continues to loom over Washington.
“The Epstein recess has begun,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday, using the term Democrats have adopted to underscore their messaging campaign.
One Amendment Advances
The most notable breakthrough came in a House Oversight subcommittee, where Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., successfully advanced a motion to subpoena the Justice Department for Epstein-related files.
“Numerous members of this committee and this subcommittee have called for answers and transparency,” Lee said. “So let’s do something about it.”
Her motion passed with the support of three Republicans and five Democrats, a rare bipartisan moment in an otherwise deeply divided debate. A committee spokesperson confirmed that the subpoena would be issued but did not specify a timeline.
GOP Blocks Amendments in Other Committees
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Democrats were less successful. In the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., offered an amendment directing the Treasury Department to release Epstein’s financial records. Committee Chair French Hill, R-Ark., ruled the amendment not germane, and Republicans voted down Tlaib’s appeal.
In the Education and the Workforce Committee, Democrats planned to tie an Epstein-related amendment to a bill on human trafficking detection, but the markup was abruptly canceled. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., asked if the bill was pulled to avoid a vote on her amendment requiring the Department of Labor to release Epstein-related documents. Chair Tim Walberg, R-Mich., did not directly answer.
Democrats had previously pushed similar amendments in the Rules Committee, only to be blocked by Republicans. The repeated efforts eventually led GOP leaders to float a symbolic resolution supporting the release of “certain” Epstein documents—but Speaker Johnson has yet to bring that measure to the floor.
Democrats Blame Republicans for Inaction
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has made the Epstein documents a centerpiece of his recent messaging, accusing Republicans of shielding powerful figures.
“Why haven’t Republicans released the Epstein files to the American people?” Jeffries asked Wednesday. “It’s reasonable to conclude that Republicans are continuing to protect the lifestyles of the rich and shameless, even if that includes pedophiles.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., had planned to introduce another amendment on Thursday during an Appropriations subcommittee hearing to force the Justice Department to produce a report on its Epstein investigation. That meeting was postponed Wednesday night after the House’s legislative schedule was cut short.
GOP Pushes Back
Republicans have fired back, accusing Democrats of political posturing. Speaker Johnson pointed out that the Biden administration held Epstein-related records for four years without similar demands for transparency from Democrats.
“They waited until President Trump was elected,” Johnson said. “Not a single one of these Democrats or anyone in Congress made any peep about that at all.”
Johnson also reiterated that Trump has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to unseal grand jury records related to Epstein, and said the administration was moving toward full transparency—but he argued that congressional action may not be needed at this time.
A Growing Flashpoint
Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, died by suicide in jail later that year during Trump’s first term. The issue of releasing documents related to his associates, finances, and legal proceedings has become a point of contention across party lines—particularly as factions within Trump’s own political base push for full disclosure.
For now, House Democrats appear determined to keep the issue alive, even with the chamber out of session. As the battle over Epstein files continues into the fall, the political pressure on Republican leadership is likely to intensify.
