In a dramatic but short-lived skirmish on the Senate floor, Republicans on Wednesday swiftly quashed a surprise attempt by Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to force the Justice Department to release files tied to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender whose shadow still looms over American politics.
By a 51-49 vote, the Senate tabled Schumer’s amendment, which had been quietly attached to the must-pass annual defense bill. The measure would have compelled Attorney General Pam Bondi to turn over any available documents relating to Epstein and his network of associates. Two Republicans — Missouri’s Josh Hawley and Kentucky’s Rand Paul — broke ranks to side with Democrats.
The move jolted the chamber, which had largely sidestepped the politically explosive issue even as the House has been consumed by efforts to pry loose the records. Schumer, for his part, framed the vote as a clear referendum on transparency. “Republicans are saying to the American people, ‘You should not see the Epstein files,’” he declared after the tally.
GOP leaders bristled at that characterization. Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismissed the amendment as little more than a “political stunt,” warning it could imperil delicate bipartisan negotiations over the broader defense package — one of Congress’s few reliably bipartisan bills. By rushing to table the measure just hours after it was introduced, Republicans avoided days of procedural wrangling and a likely Friday floor fight.
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Still, Democrats appear determined to keep the issue alive. Over the summer, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) twice attempted to secure unanimous consent for a resolution on Epstein, only to be blocked by Republicans. Separately, Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee invoked an obscure statute to demand the Justice Department hand over documents, but the department missed its September 2 deadline.
Across the Capitol, momentum has been building. A bipartisan coalition led by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is nearing the threshold needed to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson and force a House vote on similar legislation. If it passes, Schumer would face pressure to put the bill on the Senate calendar, though Thune has declined to say whether he would.
For now, the clash underscores a divide as sharp as it is symbolic: Democrats pushing to make public the government’s files on Epstein, and Republicans intent on keeping the matter out of the Senate spotlight.
