A bipartisan discharge petition aimed at forcing a House vote on a tougher Epstein records law has picked up 106 signatures, and its lead sponsor is now accusing Speaker Mike Johnson of considering an early recess specifically to avoid holding the vote at all.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), joined by Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, launched the petition on August 31 for what they're calling the Epstein Files Transparency Act II. The bill would let state attorneys general, Epstein's victims and members of Congress sue the Department of Justice directly if it withholds, redacts, delays or conceals records related to the case. It would also let victims obtain unredacted files about themselves and expose DOJ and FBI officials to penalties for concealing, falsifying or misrepresenting documents.

106 Down, 112 to Go

As of Friday, 106 lawmakers had signed on, according to Newsweek's tracking of the petition, with Massie and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) among the small number of Republicans breaking with leadership to back it. Discharge petitions need 218 signatures to force a floor vote over a speaker's objections, meaning organizers are still 112 short.

THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO WITHHOLD OVER THREE MILLION FILES

"The government continues to withhold over three million files. That's why we've introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, to bring the fight to the state courts, accountability to the Department of Justice and closure for survivors," Massie said.

The push echoes a 2025 fight in which Massie and Khanna used an earlier discharge petition to force passage of the original Epstein Files Transparency Act. Despite that law, watchdogs note zero Epstein associates have been criminally charged or arrested during the current administration — a gap Massie has cited as reason for a tougher follow-up bill with real enforcement teeth.

Recess Rumors

Massie has publicly accused Johnson of weighing an early recess, potentially pushing the House's return past the midterm elections, specifically to sidestep a vote his own petition would force. Johnson's office has not issued a public response to the recess allegation in reporting reviewed by this outlet, and it remains unclear whether the House will in fact break early. What is clear is that the clock is now a central part of the fight: every week the House is out of session is a week the petition can't gain the four dozen or so additional signatures it still needs.

With 112 signatures to go and a possible recess looming, the outcome may hinge less on the merits of the bill itself than on whether Massie and his allies can out-maneuver the Speaker's calendar before the midterms arrive.