In a political move that’s about to shake up Washington, Representative Thomas Massie has just announced that a discharge petition to force a floor vote on a bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files is just one signature away from success. As of now, the petition has a staggering 217 of the 218 signatures required, putting it on the precipice of a full House vote.
This is a big deal, and it’s happening despite opposition from some of the most powerful people in the country. To be fair, this isn’t just a political stunt; it’s a move for transparency and justice, which Massie himself said in a recent tweet. He said, “Victims deserve justice and Americans demand transparency,” and it looks like a lot of other lawmakers agree.
What’s even wilder is the bipartisan nature of this effort. Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, is leading the charge with a surprisingly diverse group of lawmakers. According to Massie’s tweet, four Republicans have signed on to the petition: him, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Lauren Boebert, and Rep. Nancy Mace.
We may finally get closure on Epstein files, if they’re not deleted first
On the other hand, the list of signers shows that every Democrat in the House has also signed it, which is something you just don’t see often in Washington these days. This unity across the aisle highlights just how much public pressure there is to release these files and bring a sense of closure and justice to the victims.
For those who might not be up-to- date on the inner workings of Congress, a discharge petition is an incredibly rare and powerful tool. It’s essentially a way for House members to bypass their own leadership and force a vote on a bill that has been stalled in a committee. In this case, the bill in question is H.R. 185, which has been stuck in the Committee on Rules since July.
We have 217 of the 218 signatures required.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 11, 2025
We just need one more Congressman to sign the discharge petition in order to force a vote in the House on a bill to release the Epstein files.
Victims deserve justice and Americans demand transparency.
When a bill is “discharged” from a committee, it goes straight to the floor for a vote, which completely circumvents the normal legislative process and a party’s leadership. This is especially important for this bill, as some of the opposition is coming from the very top. Newly sworn-in Rep. James Walkinshaw says “the only mechanism to circumvent that ironclad control that Donald Trump has over my Republican colleagues.”
The effort has not been without its challenges, though. In a move that surprised no one, Donald Trump has continued to call the Epstein episode a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson, for his part, argues that Massie’s effort is “moot,” given that Republicans have approved a symbolic provision directing the Oversight Committee to continue its Epstein investigation.
As we all know, a committee investigation is not the same as a public release of files, and the White House won’t even admit Trump’s faults when evidence is given. Johnson and other House GOP leaders have indicated they won’t try to stop the discharge petition in the Rules Committee, and they have acknowledged that a floor vote is likely if Massie gets that final signature.
