Great, Mike Johnson just blocked Epstein files vote despite Marjorie Taylor Greene and GOP rebels demanding transparency

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Monday he will not allow votes on any measures related to the Jeffrey Epstein case before the House begins its weekslong recess, despite growing pressure from Republican members.

The decision comes as a group of Republican lawmakers, including some of former President Donald Trump’s strongest supporters, have been pushing for transparency around the Epstein case, an issue that continues to gain attention among Trump’s base.

“My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we’ll look at that, but I don’t think we’re at that point right now,” Johnson told CNN on Monday.

Bipartisan effort gains momentum as ten Republicans join push for transparency

A bipartisan group led by Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie is now trying to bypass Johnson through a discharge petition to force a floor vote. Ten House Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, have already signed onto Massie’s measure, which would be enough to trigger a full vote if all Democrats support it as expected.

The measure would require the Trump administration to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein within 30 days. It would also demand a list of all government officials mentioned in the materials.

Representative Greene told CNN that her office has received the highest volume of recent constituent calls about the Epstein case, stating that “People want the information. They don’t want things covered up, especially when it comes to the most well-known convicted pedophile in modern-day history.”

The earliest possible vote on this measure would come after Labor Day when lawmakers return from their five-week summer recess. This timeline is due to procedural rules requiring seven legislative days before House lawmakers can formally collect the necessary signatures for a discharge petition.

Last week, Republicans delayed a vote on a $9 billion package of spending cuts as they debated the Epstein case. They eventually settled for a non-binding resolution calling for the release of additional files, though Johnson has been noncommittal about bringing this resolution to the floor.

Meanwhile, Trump has acknowledged the ongoing pressure, writing on his Truth Social platform that even with court approval for releasing materials, “nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more.”

The Justice Department recently announced there is no Epstein ‘client list,’ contradicting earlier suggestions by Attorney General Pam Bondi and creating tension within Trump’s political circle. They also confirmed that Epstein was not murdered in jail, addressing long-running conspiracy theories about his death.