September 3, 2025
At a time with record high levels of distrust in our institutions, and a perception that there are two Americas — one for those with power and privilege and one for everyone else, passing this Epstein Transparency Bill is one important step that can be taken to prove to Americans that the government does not side with sexual perpetrators
Epstein survivor Annie Farmer during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, organized by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) in support of their legislation to release all files surrounding the Epstein case.
Why It Matters: According to the Department of Justice, convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein harmed over 1,000 victims, including underage girls. Rep. Massie filed a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation that would release all files in the Epstein case. The petition must reach 218 signatures; if all House Democrats sign, six Republican signatures are needed. So far, Republican representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) have joined Rep. Massie in signing the discharge petition. Critics say the proposed legislation could harm victims, but Rep. Massie maintains that the legislation ensures no personally identifiable information concerning the victims would be disclosed.
What Happened Yesterday? The House Oversight Committee met with Epstein survivors on Tuesday in a closed-door meeting. Tuesday night, the Oversight Committee released more than 33,000 documents, though most were already public or heavily redacted. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reaffirms that the Oversight Committee’s investigation is sufficient.
Learn More:
- GOP Rep. Thomas Massie files discharge petition to force House vote on releasing Epstein files (CBS)
- GOP Rep. Thomas Massie takes first step to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files (NBC)
Image Credit: Louis Velazquez on Unsplash
by Karly Code, based in Kentucky
