On Tuesday, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) remarked that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is familiar with both him and Rep. Thomas Massey (R-Ky.). He suggested that their connection to the Jeffrey Epstein case was a factor in the House halting its schedule sooner than expected.
“He understands that the resolution will pass, which indicates that there are 11 Republicans on board. Not to mention individuals like Thomas Massey, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Tim Massey, who are taking the lead,” Khanna stated.
“In my nine years in Congress, I don’t think I’ve ever sponsored legislation like this,” Khanna continued. “He knows what his base desires. It’s likely to pass significantly. So, he appears hesitant to support any legislation or amendments concerning Epstein, opting instead to block Congress from meeting.”
The Epstein controversy has prompted GOP leaders in the House to adjust several plans for the week, largely due to the turmoil caused by Democrats, who have made it difficult for the party’s agenda to move forward for the second week in a row.
Johnson announced on Monday that the House wouldn’t be voting on a resolution demanding the release of various documents linked to Epstein before the upcoming August recess. Lawmakers were also let go early from Washington for a month-long break as the legislative plans unraveled amid calls for votes.
Recently, some Republicans have rallied behind a new initiative in the House aimed at urging the Justice Department to release additional Epstein-related documents.
Massey, who is at the forefront of this initiative along with Khanna, shared on social media last week that several Republicans, including Lauren Boebert (Colorado), Jeff Van Drew (New Jersey), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Eric Burleson (Missouri), and Tim Burchett (Tennessee), have signed on as co-sponsors.
“We all have the right to know what the Epstein Files contain, who is implicated, and how pervasive this corruption might be. Americans demand accountability and transparency,” Massey expressed in a post on Platform X.
“We’re initiating discharge petitions to compel a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives for the release of the complete files,” he added.
Attempts to reach Johnson’s office for comment went unanswered.
