Schumer moves to force Senate vote on Epstein files

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is moving to force the Senate to take a vote that would force disclosure of the Jeffrey Epstein files, throwing the chamber into a debate Republicans have so far largely been able to avoid.

In a surprise move, Schumer teed up a procedural vote on a measure directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public any available documents that the Justice Department possesses related to Epstein and his associates. Schumer filed the proposal as an amendment to a sweeping defense policy now being debated in the Senate.

“There's been so much lying, obfuscation, cover-ups — the American people need to see everything that's in the Epstein file,” Schumer told reporters Wednesday.

It’s unlikely the Senate would get to a vote on Schumer’s actual amendment. It first needs to overcome a procedural hurdle, where it will need 60 votes including support from more than a dozen Republicans. One GOP aide, granted anonymity to disclose private discussions, said Schumer’s move threatened to derail bipartisan negotiations over other amendments to the defense bill, one of the few must-pass bills Congress takes up every year.

Republicans could also try to table the amendment as soon as Wednesday afternoon. But Democrats are certain to cast any vote as a referendum on Epstein-related transparency.

Asked about the amendment, a visibly annoyed Majority Leader John Thune called it a "political stunt" and that Republicans would "dispose of it."

Schumer’s proposal is identical to a bipartisan House proposal from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). The pair is using a discharge petition to try to force the measure to the House floor over Speaker Mike Johnson’s objections.

Thune declined to say this week if the Senate would vote on the Massie-Khanna resolution if it passes the House.

“Whether or not we would take some action on it, I think is a hypothetical question,” Thune said. “If there’s any interest in doing anything over here on that, I trust our committee chairs … to deal with that in an appropriate way.”

Senate Democrats have tried to keep the fallout over the Epstein issues in the spotlight. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) has tried to pass a resolution formally demanding the Justice Department release the files, but it has been blocked by Republicans.

Schumer and Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee have also tried using a little-known law to try to force the Justice Department to hand over the Epstein files. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the panel, said last week that DOJ had not yet handed over any records or scheduled a staff-level briefing.