House Decision on Epstein Files Not Happening Before August Break

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced on Monday that there won’t be any movement on legislative efforts to release files related to the notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein before the House takes its summer break. When asked by CNN reporter Manu Raju if the House would vote on a resolution for these documents, Johnson simply responded, “no.”

Johnson emphasized that Congress should allow the Trump administration some breathing room to address the contentious issue independently. He commented, “There’s no sunlight on the greatest transparency between House Republicans, House and President Trump. He says he wants to release all the trustworthy files related to Epstein and has asked the Attorney General to take concrete steps. It’s all in motion.”

Moreover, Johnson asserted, “I believe the administration needs some space to do what it is supposed to be doing.” However, he did say that if further action by Congress becomes necessary, they would consider it. “I agree with the president, so I don’t think we’re at that point just yet,” he added.

Interestingly, just last week, the Republican-controlled House Rules Committee voted in favor of a non-binding resolution urging the release of certain information about the Epstein case.

This resolution, albeit lacking any legal force, will instruct Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public “all reliable” documents and data pertaining to the federal investigation into Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking.

The committee’s approval was part of a deal made with GOP lawmakers who initially resisted Trump’s rescue bill. On the same day the committee approved the resolution, Trump directed Bondi to seek a sealing order for the transcript of a major court case involving Epstein.

The next day, Bondi approached a federal court in the Southern District of New York to request sealing testimony linked to the 2019 federal sex trafficking investigation.