Discharge petition to release Epstein files reaches 218 signatures, forcing House vote

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) announced that a discharge petition for H.R.4405 (Epstein Files Transparency Act) had reached the 218 signatures needed to force a House floor vote, bypassing Speaker Mike Johnson's efforts to block it. The rare procedural maneuver came after months of grassroots pressure from both Democrats and Republicans demanding full transparency about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and associates. The petition's success demonstrated unusual bipartisan unity on an issue that crossed party lines, with members openly defying leadership to compel the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related files. Johnson had quietly urged Republicans to reject the discharge petition, but the momentum proved unstoppable as members faced constituent demands for answers about elite sex trafficking.