Republicans on the House Rules Committee passed a resolution Thursday evening calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release information related to the convicted sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Members of the rules panel voted 9 to 4 to advance the resolution to the House floor over the objections of Democrats who argued the resolution lacked the authority to compel Bondi to act. The resolution is non-binding, and it is unclear when it could receive a chamber-wide vote.
As the House Rules Committee was meeting, President Donald Trump directed Bondi to release “any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval” related to Epstein, in a post on the social media platform Truth Social shortly after 9 p.m.
“This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!” Trump wrote, doubling down on his view that the uproar around Epstein is a “hoax” concocted by foes of the president.
The resolution, offered by Republican South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman, calls on Bondi to release certain “documents, records, and communications” pertaining to the federal government’s investigation into Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, within 30 days of the measure’s enactment.
The text would create various exemptions, including information that would identify Epstein’s victims, depict child pornography or are “demonstrably false or unauthenticated.”
Though Republicans are facing pressure to demand transparency about the government’s handling of Epstein materials, it is unclear whether House GOP leadership would move to bring the measure up for a vote or when floor consideration would occur.
A Republican leadership source told the Daily Caller News Foundation that House GOP leadership had not yet determined when the resolution would receive a vote on the House floor. Republicans on the rules panel said the timing is up to House GOP leadership and did not offer any further details.
Democrats on the committee blasted the resolution for lacking legal muster to force the Trump administration to adhere to the measure’s demands.
“Republicans spent all day writing a glorified press release to cover for a child sex abuser,” Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the lead Democrat on the panel, posted on X Thursday night. “What they ended up writing is a phony, non-binding resolution that does nothing.”
He instead pointed to a bipartisan bill from Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna that would require the Department of Justice to release materials related to Epstein in its possession with exceptions for victims’ safety, among other limitations.
Massie, who frequently criticizes House GOP leadership, torched the House rules panel’s resolution for lacking legal weight to compel the release of materials related to Epstein.
“Congress thinks you’re stupid,” Massie wrote on X. “The rules committee passed a NON-BINDING Epstein resolution, hoping folks will accept it as real. It forces the release of NOTHING.”
However, at least one Republican who sits on the House Rules Committee asked if Massie’s legislation would have its intended effect of forcing Bondi to release the files.
“A bill passed by the House is not ‘binding’ if it has zero chance of being signed by the President even if passed by both houses,” Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy wrote on X Thursday night. “Meanwhile – a strong Congressional statement of transparency asked of an administration similarly seeking transparency is what Americans seek.”
Norman voiced optimism that information related to Epstein that Bondi has thus far declined to release would ultimately come to light — in part due to pressure from voters.
“The public’s not letting this die,” Norman said. “This is coming out.”
The South Carolina Republican also excoriated Democrats for suddenly caring about the Epstein files after declining to demand their release when former President Joe Biden was in the White House.
“You’re [Democrats] hammering on this because you think you got some political gain on it,” Norman continued. “The American people are going to judge the end results of this. And I think when all the facts come out, let them judge it. All of us want transparency.”
(Featured Image Media Credit: Photo/Jesse Collins/Wikimedia Commons)
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