Massie Seeks 218 Signatures for New Epstein Files Vote
Massie said he expects to reach the 218 signatures needed for a discharge petition when lawmakers return to Washington next week. The petition would force a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which he is pursuing with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and other lawmakers. The proposal would let survivors and state attorneys general take legal action over alleged failures to follow the original disclosure law.
Massie and Khanna argue that the Justice Department has not fully complied with the law President Donald Trump signed in November 2025. They say millions of records remain withheld and that some released documents have been excessively redacted. The earlier law required the attorney general to publish Epstein-related records within 30 days, subject to exceptions for victim protection and other sensitive material.
The department began releasing records by the December 2025 deadline and later said its combined publication totaled nearly 3.5 million pages, alongside more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. It said withheld material included duplicates, privileged records, documents covered by legal exceptions and material with no connection to the Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell cases. Massie and Khanna have continued to challenge whether the disclosure was adequate.
The first transparency bill faced resistance from Trump and Republican House leaders before gaining support from lawmakers in both parties. The House passed it 427-1, and Trump signed it into law. Massie says the new measure would give survivors and state officials a stronger way to seek compliance; reaching 218 petition signatures would guarantee a vote, but would not itself enact the legislation.
Survivors Need More Than a Disclosure Law Massie Says DOJ Isn’t Following
The Justice Department’s release of Epstein records has not ended the fight for transparency. Massie says the department still holds millions of files that should be public and has obscured some released material with excessive redactions. His new bill, pursued with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, would let survivors and state attorneys general go to court over alleged noncompliance.
Massie expects to obtain the 218 signatures needed for a discharge petition when lawmakers return to Washington next week. Reaching that threshold would guarantee a House vote. The proposal would give survivors access to their own records and empower state attorneys general to pursue legal action tied to the Justice Department’s handling of the files.
Congress already passed a transparency law, which Trump signed in November 2025. It required publication of Epstein-related records no later than 30 days, subject to safeguards for victims and other sensitive information. The Justice Department began releasing documents by the deadline and later said its total publication reached nearly 3.5 million pages, plus more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. It cited duplicates, privileged material, legal exceptions and unrelated documents as reasons some records were not released.
Those explanations have not satisfied Massie and Khanna, who have challenged the department’s compliance. The first bill also met resistance from Trump and Republican House leaders before it passed 427-1. Massie’s renewed push puts the question back before Congress: whether a disclosure law can deliver accountability without giving survivors and state officials a stronger way to enforce it.
Massie’s New Epstein Bill Risks Turning Disclosure Into a Political Fight
A new Epstein-files bill from Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna would open another congressional fight over how the Justice Department handles sensitive records. Massie says the department has withheld millions of files and heavily redacted released material; the proposed law would let survivors and state attorneys general take legal action over alleged failures to comply.
Massie says he expects to reach the 218 signatures needed for a discharge petition when lawmakers return next week. That threshold would guarantee a House vote, but the proposal would still need to pass Congress. Its backers say it would give survivors access to their records and provide state officials a route to challenge the department in court.
The Justice Department has said its releases total nearly 3.5 million pages, as well as more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. It has explained that material not published includes duplicates, privileged records, information shielded by statutory protections and files with no connection to the Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell cases. The original law, signed by Trump in November 2025, required disclosure within 30 days while allowing protections for victims and other sensitive information.
The first bill faced opposition from Trump and Republican House leaders, but ultimately passed the House 427-1 and became law. Now Massie and Khanna are pressing for stronger enforcement, arguing the existing disclosure process has fallen short. Their effort renews a contentious dispute over how to balance public access, legal compliance and protections built into the release process.
Reported by The New Republic, Newsweek.
