House Republican leaders are preparing to bring to a vote on Tuesday a bill requiring the release of federal records on Jeffrey Epstein, according to three people briefed on the plan who were granted anonymity ahead of the official announcement.
The move follows an effort by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Ro Khanna (D-California), who bypassed Speaker Mike Johnson to force consideration of their bipartisan measure directing the Justice Department to publish all materials related to the late convicted sex offender.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to derail the process, including in a series of Truth Social posts on Friday. Johnson, however, said on Wednesday that he intends to move quickly to schedule a vote and settle the matter.
Under Republicans’ current plan, the House Rules Committee is expected to approve on Monday evening a procedural package advancing eight bills, including a provision allowing the Epstein measure to reach the floor. If the House adopts the package—likely on Tuesday afternoon—debate and a final vote could begin immediately afterward. GOP leaders are also considering pushing the vote to Tuesday evening.
Dozens of Republicans are expected to break with their conference and support the measure. It would then require approval from the Senate and a signature from Trump, both unlikely. But the process could stretch on for weeks, prolonging the debate over Trump’s ties to Epstein.
In a 2019 email released this week by the House Oversight Committee, Epstein claimed that Trump “knew about the girls” he was trafficking, though Trump denies any wrongdoing, and no evidence shows he participated in Epstein’s criminal activity.
The four Republicans who signed the petition to force the bill onto the floor—Massie, along with Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina—intend to closely monitor Johnson’s actions. Acting together, they can block any procedural move that might weaken, delay or alter the measure.
That could paralyze the House just as its leadership is trying to restore a full legislative schedule after a seven-week pause declared by Johnson amid the record federal shutdown.