Sep 10, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Senate GOP blocks amendment to release Epstein files

Stef W. Kight

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer during a news conference following the weekly Senate Democrat policy luncheon at the US Capitol. — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to table an amendment from Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer that would have forced the release of files related to the Jeffery Epstein case.

Why it matters: The amendment was stopped despite many congressional Republicans calling for more transparency from the federal government around the Epstein investigation.

Schumer introduced the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday. It mirrors a discharge petition in the House led by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)
The Senate has so far largely avoided getting pulled into the Epstein saga the way the House has.

By the numbers: The final vote to table the amendment was 51 to 49, with Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voting with Democrats against dismissing the amendment.

"My position has long been I think we ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files," Hawley told reporters after his vote.
Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters he viewed Schumer's move as "a stunt. And we'll dispose of it."

Zoom out: This is likely not the last time the Senate will be forced to face the issue.

Massie's discharge petition is likely to force a House vote by the end of this month — whether or not more Republicans sign on, as Axios reported.

Go deeper

Add Axios on Google

Senate GOP blocks amendment to release Epstein files

What to read next