A tiny group of stubborn House Republicans is poised to force an embarrassing vote for the Trump White House.
- Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-Ky.) Epstein files discharge petition can sew up its 218th signature Tuesday in a special election in Arizona.
Why it matters: For House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), it's a tough reminder of the limits of his power. For Trump, it's a rare case in which GOP lawmakers openly defy his sustained pressure.
🥊 Massie is pitching a select group of his GOP colleagues to sign on to his petition that would force a vote on releasing the files associated with the investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein.
- "Don't let it be a Democrat who's the 218th signature. Let it be a Republican. That would be good for us to signal we want transparency," Massie told Axios.
- But Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat, is widely expected to win the race Tuesday to replace her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), in Arizona's 7th District.
- She plans to sign the discharge petition if elected, a spokesperson told Axios.
Zoom in: Johnson has urged his conference to stay clear of the petition, saying that Oversight's probe will ultimately yield more information.
- But GOP Reps. Nancy Mace (S.C.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (Colo.) have kept their names on the petition.
- "They're solid. They're not moving," Massie told Axios before recess about his co-signers.
Between the lines: Johnson has tucked language in party-line procedural measures to kill discharge petitions.
- He faced blowback when he employed the tactic to quash a proxy voting discharge petition in April, but he used the ensuing stalemate to negotiate a quiet end to the issue.
- House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) told reporters this month her panel would not block a floor vote on the petition.
What's next: If Adelita Grijalava is elected, it is expected she would be sworn in when Congress returns from recess in early October.
- That would tee up a floor vote on releasing the files in mid-October.
