Washington, DC [US], November 13 : US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday (local time) announced that he will bring to the floor next week a contentious bipartisan bill requiring the Justice Department to release all files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, amid mounting pressure within his party, CNN reported.
Johnson said the measure would receive a full vote when lawmakers return after the month-long government shutdown.
"We're going to put that on the floor for a full vote when we get back next week," he said, adding that the House Oversight Committee had been "working around the clock" on its own investigation.
The bill, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, was forced onto the legislative calendar after the sponsors successfully used a rare procedural tool known as a discharge petition. While Johnson was required to schedule the bill, he had some flexibility on the timing.
His decision to move it up reflects growing agitation within the GOP. Many Republican lawmakers, despite their loyalty to President Donald Trump, have grown frustrated with months of pressure from members like Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Several Republicans fear that opposing the bill would lead to accusations that they are shielding individuals linked to Epstein, as per CNN.
Newly released emails from Epstein, disclosed by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, include multiple references to Donald Trump in private correspondence spanning more than 15 years, CNN reported. When asked about the emails, Johnson dismissed the discussion.
"I think it's a massive distraction by the Democrats while we're trying to get the government reopened and cover for their mistakes," he said, adding that similar questions were not raised "for four years during the Biden administration."
Trump, meanwhile, sharply criticised Democrats in a series of posts on Truth Social, accusing them of trying to "deflect" attention from the government shutdown.
He wrote, "The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they'll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they've done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects. Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap. The Democrats cost our Country USD 1.5 Trillion Dollars with their recent antics of viciously closing our Country, while at the same time putting many at risk -- and they should pay a fair price. There should be no deflections to Epstein or anything else, and any Republicans involved should be focused only on opening up our Country, and fixing the massive damage caused by the Democrats!"
Notably, Trump and several of his right-wing allies have for years demanded extensive investigations into the Epstein case, frequently accusing a so-called "deep state" of shielding powerful individuals linked to the convicted sex offender.
At the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the President, saying the newly released emails "prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong." She added that Epstein had been removed from Mar-a-Lago "because Jeffrey Epstein was a pedophile and a creep," and questioned why Democrats had redacted the name of a victim who had already come forward publicly.
According to the emails released by Democrats, Epstein claimed Trump "spent hours" at his house, while another email said the president "knew about the girls."
Earlier on Wednesday, Johnson also addressed the impact of the shutdown. "I just want to apologise for Americans who still have flight cancellations or delays. Those who were made to go hungry. Troops and federal employees wondering when their next paycheck is coming. All of that is on the Democrats... Republicans are going to deliver for the people," he said.