Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) says he's locked in the 218 signatures needed to force a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II — but Speaker Mike Johnson's abrupt seven-week recess means the vote won't happen until after the midterms.
Why it matters: This revives one of the most disruptive fights of Trump's second term. The original Epstein Files Transparency Act became law less than a year ago after a similar discharge-petition fight, yet Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) say the Justice Department is still unlawfully withholding millions of pages of Epstein-related records.
Driving the news:
Massie announced Sept. 17 that Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) have signed his discharge petition alongside him — enough Republicans, combined with Khanna's Democratic signatures, to reach the 218 needed to force a floor vote.
The announcement came hours after Speaker Johnson sent the House home for a seven-week recess that runs past the midterms.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act II would give members of Congress, state attorneys general and survivors legal standing to sue the DOJ over withheld or redacted Epstein records, and would penalize officials who conceal them.
It follows the original Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Trump signed into law last year after the first discharge-petition fight succeeded.
By the numbers:
218 — signatures needed, and now secured, to force the vote.
4 — Republicans who signed: Massie, Fitzpatrick, Norman and Mace.
3.5 million+ — pages of Epstein-related records the DOJ says it has released so far.
7 weeks — length of the recess Johnson called before the petition could get a vote.
What they're saying: Khanna, who's led the push alongside Massie, has framed it as bipartisan and victim-focused. “This is not about Donald Trump, and it's not partisan. This is about justice for the victims,” he said at a news conference with Epstein survivors, adding, “These victims haven't spoken for decades.”
The other side: Attorney General Todd Blanche maintains the DOJ has complied with the original transparency law, saying privacy rules, legal exemptions and logistical hurdles — not stonewalling — explain why not every file has been released, pointing to the 3.5 million-plus pages already turned over.
What's next:
No vote can happen until the House returns from recess Nov. 9 — six days after the midterm election.
Massie, Norman and Mace are all leaving Congress in January 2027; Fitzpatrick faces reelection in November.
The bottom line: Massie says he has the votes. Johnson's recess means voters will go to the polls without a resolution — the fight over what the DOJ is still sitting on now plays out after Election Day, not before it.
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