Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Sunday known as an effort from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on recordsdata associated to convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein “reckless” as controversy over the disgraced financier roils Washington.
“Home Republicans insist upon the discharge of all credible proof and knowledge associated to Epstein in any method,” Johnson advised NBC Information’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.”
“However we’re additionally insisting upon the safety of harmless victims. And our concern is that the Massie and Khanna discharge petition is reckless in the best way that it’s drafted and offered. It doesn’t adequately embody these protections,” he added.
Earlier this month, Massie stated he would attempt to use a long-shot procedural gambit to pressure a vote on requiring the Justice Division to launch recordsdata associated to Epstein.
“All of us should know what’s within the Epstein recordsdata, who’s implicated, and the way deep this corruption goes. Individuals had been promised justice and transparency,” Massie stated in a put up on the social platform X in mid-July.
“We’re introducing a discharge petition to pressure a vote within the US Home of Representatives on releasing the COMPLETE recordsdata,” he added.
A discharge petition needs 218 signatures to go previous Home management and pressure a vote on a measure.
Massie and Khanna’s bill has 11 Republican co-sponsors, together with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), all often called staunch members of the GOP’s hard-right flank.
Khanna and Massie additionally made a Sunday look on “Meet the Press” in a joint interview, with Massie saying the Epstein controversy “goes to harm Republicans within the midterms, the voters might be apathetic if we don’t maintain the wealthy and highly effective accountable.”
“I believe once we get again, we will get the signatures required to pressure this to the ground. Speaker Mike Johnson ought to do the correct factor and simply convey it to the ground and never require us to pressure it,” Massie stated of his and Khanna’s effort.
The Hill has reached out to Massie and Khanna’s places of work for remark.