WASHINGTON (BN24) — The Republican-led House of Representatives will adjourn for its summer recess a day early, a move that Democrats allege is aimed at avoiding politically sensitive votes on the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced Tuesday that the final votes would be held Wednesday instead of Thursday, cutting short the legislative week ahead of the chamber’s five-week recess. The abrupt schedule change comes amid intensifying Democratic efforts to force votes on making Epstein-related documents public—a push Republicans have resisted.
“They are actually ending this week early because they’re afraid to cast votes on the Jeffrey Epstein issue,” said Rep. Ted Lieu, the Democratic caucus vice chair. “This is a deliberate attempt to avoid accountability.”
Scalise dismissed the criticism, saying that committees would continue working through Thursday and that much of the chamber’s work happens outside of floor votes. He declined to comment on whether the decision was tied to the Epstein controversy.
The move deepens a partisan rift over how to handle the lingering public demand for transparency in the Epstein case. President Donald Trump’s administration has faced criticism over its limited efforts to release the full scope of Epstein’s files. While Attorney General Pam Bondi agreed last week to release select grand jury materials, the Justice Department has maintained that most documents, including any alleged client list, will remain sealed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the GOP’s approach, emphasizing caution. “Congress must be careful,” he said Tuesday, warning that pushing for rapid release of documents could retraumatize victims. “This is political theater. We can demand transparency without harming those who have already suffered.”
Still, the controversy shows no signs of fading. Democrats have repeatedly attempted to attach amendments to unrelated legislation in the House Rules Committee to compel the release of Epstein-related records—tactics that put Republicans in the uncomfortable position of voting to block disclosure.
Frustration among GOP lawmakers peaked Monday when Democrats prepared to introduce more Epstein-related measures during a committee session. In response, Republicans froze the process, refusing to vote on additional rules and effectively halting House floor activity.
While Johnson has promised a vote on a symbolic resolution calling for the documents’ release, that measure is now delayed until after the August break.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee approved a subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in the sex trafficking operation. The Justice Department is also seeking to question her, but no date for her congressional testimony has been confirmed.
Separately, Rep. Thomas Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican, and Democrat Ro Khanna are collaborating on a legislative maneuver to compel a vote on the full release of the Epstein files. That action is expected to take place in early September when lawmakers return.
Democratic leaders criticized the decision to end the week early as a dereliction of duty. Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, warned that the shortened week will delay work on critical spending bills needed to avert a government shutdown by the end of September.
“We haven’t done appropriation bills,” Morelle said. “And yet we’re going to take extra days off to avoid pressuring the administration to fulfill promises it made to release these files. That’s unacceptable.”
The renewed focus on Epstein’s death in federal custody and his alleged ties to powerful figures continues to stir public distrust. Despite the Justice Department’s recent conclusion that Epstein died by suicide and had no “client list,” critics accuse the administration of withholding vital information.
Pam Bondi, who previously served as a prominent Trump ally and now leads the Justice Department, told Fox News in February that the Epstein files were “sitting on my desk,” further inflaming calls for full disclosure.
