On July 15, 2025, House Republicans blocked a Democratic amendment introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) that would have forced a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files. The House Rules Committee voted 7-5 against the proposal, with only one Republican, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), supporting it alongside Democrats.

The amendment, attached to the GENIUS Act (a cryptocurrency bill), aimed to require Attorney General Pam Bondi to preserve and publish all Epstein-related records within 30 days. A subsequent procedural maneuver on the House floor to force the issue also failed, with a 211-210 vote along party lines, as nine Republicans abstained.

The decision has sparked controversy, especially among MAGA supporters who have long demanded transparency on the Epstein case, fueled by distrust in federal institutions and conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death and alleged client list.

Democrats, including Reps. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), have accused the Trump administration of withholding documents to protect powerful figures, while some Republicans, like Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have expressed support for releasing the files, creating tension within the GOP.

The Justice Department’s recent memo, stating no incriminating client list exists and reaffirming Epstein’s 2019 death as suicide, has further intensified the debate. Rep. Khanna and other Democrats have vowed to continue pushing for transparency, with Khanna stating on X, “We will keep fighting for transparency.” In the Senate, a unanimous amendment by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to preserve Epstein records was approved, though its passage in the House remains uncertain

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