House Democrats launch multi-committee Epstein attack on Republicans on last day before recess

The strategy, backed by Democratic leadership, is further grinding legislative business to a halt.

Coordinated effort disrupts legislative activity as Democrats push Republicans to take a stance on Epstein records.

With their legislative power curtailed, House Democrats are capitalizing on every possible opening to pressure Republicans over the explosive Jeffrey Epstein controversy.

From committee hearings to floor procedures, Democrats are using a range of tactics to force GOP lawmakers into uncomfortable positions on whether to support the public release of Epstein-related documents. These maneuvers have not only disrupted the legislative workflow but have, in some cases, brought it to a screeching halt.

This aggressive approach is part of a deliberate and coordinated campaign being championed by the House Democratic leadership, according to a source familiar with internal discussions who was granted anonymity to speak freely. The strategy is already causing headaches for Republican leaders.

House Speaker Mike Johnson opted to adjourn the chamber for the August recess a day earlier than planned following a deadlock in the Rules Committee over an Epstein-linked amendment. The dispute prevented certain bills from advancing to the House floor.

GOP leaders, for their part, have signaled they will not entertain any votes after the August break on measures that would compel or endorse the release of Epstein-related files. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has taken separate steps to authorize the release of grand jury material linked to the case. Still, with just hours left before Congress went into recess, House Democrats were seeking creative ways to bypass Republican resistance.

One Republican-led committee, Education and the Workforce, withdrew a bill entirely from consideration — a proposal focused on strengthening tools to detect human trafficking — due to Democratic members introducing Epstein-related amendments.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) proposed that the Department of Labor be directed to include Epstein’s case in training modules. Meanwhile, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) submitted an amendment calling on the agency to release all unclassified materials concerning Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Bonamici told reporters that former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta was pushed to step down from his previous role as U.S. Attorney in Florida amid backlash over his handling of the Epstein prosecution. “The public deserves to know what information exists,” Bonamici said. “If Republicans stand for transparency, they should support this amendment to ensure those records are disclosed.”

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Democrats continued pressing the issue during a markup in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which was reviewing legislation regarding student athletes. There, Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) introduced a separate amendment urging former President Trump to release files connecting Epstein with Larry Nassar, the disgraced former gymnastics doctor convicted of abusing hundreds of women and girls.

Reports from 2023 alleged that Epstein attempted to reach out to Nassar while both men were incarcerated for sexual abuse crimes.

Veasey’s amendment went further, seeking to delay implementation of the underlying student athlete bill — which aims to protect the rights and well-being of college athletes and define responsibilities for officials — until the Epstein-Nassar documents were made public.

However, Republicans swiftly moved to table the amendment after Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) deemed it non-germane, a procedural move frequently used to sideline opposition party proposals.