The House is putting the Jeffrey Epstein controversy on the back burner until at least September. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that the chamber will begin its summer recess earlier than expected, on Wednesday, to avoid "political games," reports the New York Times. And don't expect any votes on releasing the Epstein files to sneak in before then—Republicans on the House Rules Committee are preventing virtually all votes from reaching the House floor because they fear Democrats will tack on Epstein-related amendments, per the Washington Post.
Democrats, meanwhile, have been happy to make their GOP colleagues go on the record as opposing the records' release. "We certainly won't refrain from pointing that out as long as they continue to perform this self-own time and time again," said Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, per Axios. To which House Majority Leader Steve Scalise responded: "Where were these 'interested' Democrats for four years when they could have released all of it? They have no credibility because they had no desire to release it when they were in control."
Of course, it's not only Democrats pushing for the release of the records. GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has repeatedly pressed for a vote. "Let me just say about Thomas Massie, could you just accept my Southern, 'bless his heart.' I don't know what else to say about it," said Johnson, per the Post. Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Tim Burchett introduced a motion to subpoena longtime Epstein companion Ghislaine Maxwell. Separately, a top Justice Department official plans to speak with the imprisoned Maxwell in the coming days.
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