As Congress reconvened in Washington on September 2, 2025, lawmakers found themselves immediately thrust back into the storm surrounding the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose death in 2019 continues to fuel controversy, speculation, and bipartisan demands for transparency. The issue, which had already divided Republicans and slowed legislative progress before the August recess, showed no signs of abating as both parties returned to Capitol Hill, now facing renewed pressure to make the federal investigation's files public.
According to NPR, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California has been at the forefront of these efforts. Speaking with NPR's Leila Fadel, Khanna underscored the bipartisan nature of the demand for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release more information related to Epstein, stating, "Less than 1 percent of files have been released. DOJ is stonewalling. The survivors deserve justice and the public deserves transparency."
The push for disclosure is not limited to one side of the aisle. As reported by multiple outlets, including NPR and The Hill, Khanna has joined forces with Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Together, they are spearheading a discharge petition that would force a House vote on legislation requiring the DOJ to post every record it possesses related to its investigations into both Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Notably, the legislation allows redactions only to protect the identities of victims, specifically prohibiting edits for "embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."
To succeed, the petition needs 218 signatures—a tall order in the current political climate. Still, it has already garnered the support of 11 other Republican co-sponsors besides Massie, highlighting the rare bipartisan cooperation on a matter that has otherwise sown discord in Congress.
The renewed focus on Epstein comes at a particularly sensitive moment for House Republicans. Top GOP leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, had accelerated their July exit from Washington in part to avoid the thorny Epstein saga, hoping that the controversy would dissipate over the five-week recess. Instead, as lawmakers returned, the issue loomed larger than ever, threatening to derail legislative business at a time when Congress must also work to prevent a government shutdown by September 30.
On Wednesday, September 3, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Khanna and Massie, is scheduled to hold a press event at the Capitol to advance their push for the release of all government Epstein files. They will be joined by several survivors of Epstein's abuse, whose presence is expected to underscore the urgency and gravity of the matter. As a House Democratic aide told The Hill, "We're not going to stop talking about this."
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been particularly active. Prior to the August recess, the committee subpoenaed the Epstein estate for a trove of sensitive documents, including anything resembling a "client list" and Epstein's 2003 "birthday book." The latter, compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, reportedly contains a lewd letter written by Donald Trump during his days as a private citizen in New York. These materials are expected to be delivered to Capitol Hill by September 8, 2025, according to committee sources.
Meanwhile, the House Rules Committee was brought to a standstill in late July when Democrats introduced a series of Epstein-related amendments that Republicans were eager to avoid. This legislative impasse has complicated efforts to move virtually any significant piece of legislation to the floor, further raising the stakes for GOP leaders who would rather focus on keeping the government open than on the ongoing Epstein controversy.
Yet, the pressure is not just coming from Democrats. Some of the most vocal demands for transparency have come from within the Republican ranks. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a close ally of former President Trump, has been an outspoken advocate for the release of the files. Greene warned Trump via social media that refusing to release the documents could cost him support among his base, writing, "If you tell the base of people, who support you, of deep state treasonous crimes, election interference, blackmail, and rich powerful elite evil cabals, then you must take down every enemy of The People. If not. The base will turn and there's no going back."
This dynamic has put Republican leaders in a difficult position, caught between their loyalty to Trump—who has called the Epstein controversy a "hoax" and urged his supporters to move on—and the demands of conservatives both inside and outside Congress who are determined to keep the issue alive. Speaker Johnson, for his part, indicated on CNN that the House would "probably" vote on an Epstein-related resolution soon, adding, "There may be a floor vote of one measure or another. We have our own resolutions to do all this, but I don't—it's sort of not necessary at the point because the administration is already doing this. They're turning it over. Very soon the American people will have that information, and they should have had it all along. That's my view."
In addition to the discharge petition and committee subpoenas, the Oversight Committee has scheduled interviews with several key figures connected to the Epstein case. Among those slated for questioning in October are Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. attorney for South Florida who negotiated a controversial nonprosecution deal with Epstein in 2006, as well as former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, both of whom had past ties to Epstein and Maxwell.
Earlier in August, a top DOJ official interviewed Maxwell in prison, and the full transcript of that exchange was released to the public. However, critics, including Khanna, argue that the DOJ has not gone far enough. According to Khanna, "97 percent of those files had been previously made public," and the department continues to "stonewall" requests for full disclosure.
For survivors of Epstein's abuse, the stakes are deeply personal. Their calls for justice and transparency have resonated across party lines, fueling the ongoing push for answers. As Congress grapples with the dual pressures of legislative gridlock and public demand for accountability, the question of what secrets remain hidden in the Epstein files has become a potent symbol of the broader struggle for government transparency.
As the September deadlines approach, it remains to be seen whether the bipartisan coalition in the House will succeed in forcing the DOJ to open its files—or whether the controversy will continue to cast a long shadow over the work of Congress in the critical weeks ahead.
