Reps. Massie and Khanna say the DOJ is still withholding over 3 million Epstein files, and they're two signatures from forcing a vote. Right to push, or midterm theater?
Their discharge petition, at 216 of the 218 signatures needed, would force a vote on a bill letting state attorneys general and victims sue the federal government over withheld or over-redacted records. Speaker Mike Johnson hasn't scheduled a vote. New Mexico has separately sued the DOJ, and some victims say they were never told whether their images were in the files.
What happened
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) are pushing a discharge petition — at 216 of the 218 signatures needed as of Sept 21 — to force a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which would let state attorneys general and victims sue the federal government over withheld or over-redacted files, require unredacted documents for victims, and criminalize DOJ officials misrepresenting what they're withholding. Massie says the DOJ "continues to unlawfully withhold over 3 million Epstein files" despite last year's transparency law requiring release.
Why people disagree
Massie and Khanna argue the DOJ is slow-walking compliance with a law Congress already passed and that victims deserve direct legal recourse rather than waiting on the department's discretion. Speaker Mike Johnson has not scheduled a vote on his own, and the original transparency push already drew criticism from within Johnson's own party over the risk of disclosing sensitive investigative material.
What's still unclear
Whether the petition reaches 218 signatures before Congress leaves for the midterms, and whether a second transparency law would meaningfully speed up DOJ compliance or just trigger another round of litigation over redactions.
Sources
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