Speaker Mike Johnson spent most of the summer trying to keep the fight over the Jeffrey Epstein files under control. He aimed to ease pressure where he could and hoped that the issue would fade away before it reached the House floor. However, the push for releasing the files gained momentum quickly, with a wide range of Republican support, causing Johnson’s original plan to fall apart. By midweek, he shifted strategies and decided to bring the bill up for a vote instead of letting the conflict drag on.
Lawmakers and aides see this change as less of a strategic move and more as a realization that they had run out of options. Members from all sides, including hard conservatives who rarely break from Donald Trump and moderates who usually avoid controversial issues, began showing they were ready to back the bipartisan bill from Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna. This proposal would require the Justice Department to release the full set of Epstein files, redacting victims’ identifying information. The rapid growth of support surprised the leadership.
According to one Republican aide, it became clear that delaying would only worsen the situation. “No point in waiting,” the aide said, noting that the votes were aligning in ways leadership could not really control. Another Republican, reflecting on Johnson’s quick decision, put it simply: “If you have to do it, you might as well do it quickly.”
Mike Johnson accuses Democrats of “trying to manufacture some sort of hoax that the president something to do with Epstein. It is absurd … they have Trump derangement syndrome.” pic.twitter.com/VDKZ9GGr1D
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 14, 2025
Massie and Khanna did not expect things to move so fast. Even after they gathered the 218 signatures needed for a vote through a discharge petition, they assumed the bill would progress slowly through the necessary steps. But on the same day the petition reached its goal, the House Oversight Committee released thousands of Epstein-related emails, adding urgency to the debate and making it harder for leaders to justify further delays.
With the bill now on track for a vote, Massie is focusing on a bigger aim. He wants two-thirds of the House to support the measure, which would create a veto-proof majority. He said that anything below that number would make passing it in the Senate much tougher. However, achieving a two-thirds vote would put significant pressure on senators, regardless of Trump’s objections.
Johnson’s change in approach is striking, especially considering how hard he worked to avoid this moment. He sent lawmakers home early before the August recess partly to avoid a vote. In September, Trump’s allies lobbied Republicans behind the scenes, urging them not to support Massie and Khanna’s initiative. Even this week, senior figures were still reaching out to members who backed the petition, hoping to sway a few.
All those efforts failed, and as more signatures piled up and more Epstein documents emerged, the political cost of resisting increased. Once leadership recognized this reality, the strategy became clear: pass the bill in the House and let the Senate deal with the aftermath.
The bill’s future in the Senate is still uncertain. Minority Leader John Thune has suggested that extra legislation might not be needed, highlighting the thousands of files already released. Trump has indicated he might veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
Nevertheless, public pressure surrounding the Epstein case has been building for months. Many Republicans now feel that opposing transparency poses more risk than embracing it.
