House bails early for its August recess amid Epstein files uproar
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, conference chair Lisa McClain, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise during an enrollment ceremony on July 3. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The House is leaving Washington a day early for its five-week August recess after tensions erupted over efforts to force release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Why it matters: Fallout from the debate over the Epstein files has effectively frozen House business. Leadership opted to cut the week short and leave town before things escalate further.
- The final House votes before September are now scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
State of play: The House Rules Committee is not planning to hold votes this week to prepare major legislation for the House floor, meaning any remaining votes will likely be on small, noncontroversial bills.
- Democrats planned to force yet more votes on amendments aimed at pressuring the Justice Department to release all its documents on Epstein.
- The House had been scheduled to vote on GOP legislation involving immigration and environmental policies this week, which had to go through the Rules Committee first.
What they're saying: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) insisted Monday night that the House would continue its work "all week."
- "We have lots of work with appropriations and a lot of committees doing very important stuff," Johnson said late Monday evening.
- But by Tuesday morning, Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) officially noticed the change in schedule.
- Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday that Republicans were "done being lectured about transparency" and that he would not allow Democrats to "continue with their nonsense this week."
The other side: Democrats used the canceled votes as another opportunity to claim that Republicans are trying to stifle attempts to get them on the record about the Epstein files.
- "They're scared sh--tless!" gloated Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), who has repeatedly forced votes in his panel on releasing the DOJ's Epstein documents.
The big picture: While GOP leadership continues to assert that there's "no daylight" between the House and the Trump administration over the Epstein files, frustration inside GOP ranks is growing.
- Several rank-and-file Republicans are pressuring leadership to take up a nonbinding resolution demanding full disclosure from the DOJ before the August recess.
- Johnson has resisted, saying the White House needs "space" to act on its own.
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is pushing forward with a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the files, directly challenging party leaders.
What's next: Republicans on the House Oversight Committee also moved to subpoena Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell on Tuesday — and said they did not consult the White House or GOP leadership before doing so.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
