The bipartisan sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, say they expect dozens of Republicans to join Democrats in supporting a vote to force the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Khanna said in an email on Sunday that public sentiment is outweighing any internal political resistance. “While there might be pressure from the White House, there is even more pressure from the public. People are sick of our system protecting the Epstein class,” he told Newsweek.
Why the Vote Matters
A small group of Republicans has already joined Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Khanna, a California Democrat, in backing the effort. The co-sponsors include Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. If broader Republican support materializes, it would mark a notable departure from the party’s usual alignment with President Donald Trump.
The vote is happening against the backdrop of renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s connections to Trump. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee recently released a series of Epstein emails that referenced Trump, prompting fresh questions about the nature of their ties.
Trump has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes and has said he cut ties with him years before Epstein’s death in 2019. Several of Trump’s allies have characterized the Democrats’ actions as a “smear” campaign.
Supporters Claim the Votes Are There
Appearing on NBC News’ Meet the Press on Sunday, Khanna was asked by host Kristen Welker whether there are enough votes to pass the measure.
“We do, and there’s nothing I have been prouder of or more meaningful than this work,” he said. “The credit goes to the survivors.” Khanna added that he is “hoping for 40-plus” Republicans to back the bill.
Massie, speaking on ABC News’ This Week the same day, predicted even stronger support within his party, suggesting there may be “a deluge of Republicans” in favor.
“There could be 100 or more,” Massie said. “I’m hoping to get a veto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for a vote.” Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the House.
On Wednesday, newly elected Representative Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, was sworn in and supplied the final signature needed on a discharge petition to force a House vote on the bill. That procedural move compels House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to bring the measure to the floor.
The president has strongly criticized the latest effort to release Epstein-related material, accusing Democrats of advancing a hoax to distract from their own record. He argued on Truth Social that “only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.”
Newly disclosed emails show Epstein writing in 2011 that Trump had “spent hours” at his house with a victim of sex trafficking, and later claiming that Trump “knew about the girls.” The revelations have intensified questions about what Trump may have known regarding Epstein’s sexual abuse. Trump has previously indicated on the campaign trail that he would support releasing Epstein-related documents, and his administration has faced bipartisan criticism for not fully following through.
How Key Figures Are Responding
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday: “These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.”
Greene, a Georgia Republican, reiterated her support for unsealing the material in a Sunday post on X, writing in part: “I believe in transparency. That’s why I’ve pushed to release the Epstein files. Survivors deserve the truth, and I won’t apologize for standing with them.”
Some Republicans, however, are firmly opposed. Representative Troy Nehls of Texas wrote in a Friday X post: “I’ll be voting NO on the Epstein Hoax. The Democrats are using the Epstein Hoax to distract us from the winning of President Trump and his administration. My message to my Republican colleagues: Don’t let this noise keep us from delivering on the mandate the American people gave us. President Trump—I stand by you in the fight to save America. I’m not going to let this hoax, manufactured by Democrats, slow us down.”
Trump himself echoed that message in a Wednesday Truth Social post: “The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects. Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap. The Democrats cost our Country $1.5 Trillion Dollars with their recent antics of viciously closing our Country, while at the same time putting many at risk — and they should pay a fair price. There should be no deflections to Epstein or anything else, and any Republicans involved should be focused only on opening up our Country, and fixing the massive damage caused by the Democrats!”
Mace, a South Carolina Republican, emphasized that the issue is personal for her while still defending Trump. In a November 12 X post, she wrote in part: “The Epstein petition is deeply personal…As a survivor I will defend every last attack on President Trump to the death, everywhere. Just like I did on Stephanopoulos because I believe in HIM. And all this fake news, well, it’s just noise. I will NEVER abandon other survivors.”
What Comes Next
The House is expected to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act this week. Several Epstein survivors are scheduled to gather outside the Capitol on Tuesday for a news conference as lawmakers prepare to decide whether the documents will finally be released.
