- Senate Republicans voted 51-49 to block Democrats’ amendment demanding Epstein file disclosure.
- GOP Senators Josh Hawley and Rand Paul broke ranks to support Democrats.
- Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of rejecting accountability and transparency.
- Public pressure over Epstein’s ties and case secrecy continues to grow.
- A parallel push in the House could soon force a vote on releasing the files.
In a razor-thin vote on Wednesday, Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats to include language in Congress’ annual defense authorization bill that would have required the public release of case files tied to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation.
The Senate voted 51-49 against the measure. Notably, Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky broke with their party to side with Democrats, highlighting the issue’s divisive nature even within GOP ranks.
For months, Democrats have demanded the release of the so-called Epstein files, seizing nearly every opportunity to pressure Republicans into either joining the push for disclosure or publicly opposing it, a politically risky move given the outrage among many conservative voters.
Former President Donald Trump, who once signaled openness to full transparency on the matter, has since dismissed the initiative as a “Democrat hoax.”
On the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a fiery rebuke of Republican opposition.
“I ask my Republican colleagues, after all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, why won’t you vote yes?”
The New York Democrat maneuvered earlier Wednesday to insert his amendment into the must-pass defense policy bill. Republican leadership quickly pushed back, accusing Schumer of politicizing a traditionally bipartisan piece of legislation.
“This is not the right way to do it,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
Senate Minority Leader John Thune echoed GOP resistance, insisting the Department of Justice (DOJ) has already provided extensive material.
“The Justice Department has already released tons of files on Epstein,” Thune said. “I trust them in terms of having the confidence that they’ll get as much information out there as possible in a way that protects the rights of the victims.”
Still, many Republicans at the grassroots level, and survivors of Epstein’s abuse remain unsatisfied, arguing that the DOJ has held back critical details.
Epstein’s death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019, while facing federal charges of trafficking and abusing underage girls, continues to fuel speculation and mistrust in government transparency. His prior secret plea deal in Florida more than a decade earlier, which shielded him from federal charges, remains one of the most controversial plea agreements in modern U.S. history.
Schumer argued that momentum has shifted, making transparency unavoidable: “It’s become so apparent that they’re lying about it in every different way and the demands of the American people are so great. The need is greater than ever now.”
While the Senate standoff dominated headlines, a separate effort in the House could bring the matter back into the spotlight.
This week, Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) was sworn in after winning a special election, giving Democrats another supporter in their push to maneuver around GOP leadership with a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the files.
Four House Republicans have already signed on. The petition is now just one signature away from the support needed to trigger a vote, potentially by the end of the month when Arizona holds a special election to fill another vacant seat.
If successful, this could set up a dramatic confrontation on Capitol Hill over whether Congress should compel the Justice Department to make Epstein’s case files fully public.
