A discharge petition that had sat stalled at 216 signatures since mid-September finally crossed the finish line Wednesday, when Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.) added their names to push Rep. Thomas Massie's second Epstein files effort to the 218 signatures needed to force a House floor vote.

The petition targets the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which would empower state attorneys general, Epstein's victims, and members of Congress themselves to sue the U.S. attorney general over unlawfully withheld or redacted investigative records tied to Jeffrey Epstein, according to Axios.

A Mostly Democratic Push

Only four Republicans signed on: Massie, the Kentucky libertarian who has repeatedly broken with GOP leadership on the Epstein issue, along with Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. The other 214 signatures came entirely from Democrats, according to The Hill — a lopsided split underscoring how little appetite the rest of the House GOP conference has shown for revisiting the issue.

Under House rules, seven legislative days must elapse after a petition hits 218 before a motion to discharge the bill from committee can actually be called up. Axios reports that puts the measure on track to become eligible for a floor vote by early December.

What the Bill Would — and Wouldn't — Do

Reaching 218 signatures guarantees the House will vote on the bill; it does not guarantee it becomes law. The legislation would still need to pass the House, clear the Senate and be signed by the president. Massie, who lost his own GOP primary earlier this year to a Trump-endorsed challenger, has framed the fight as a test of whether leadership can keep blocking a floor vote once a majority of the chamber has formally demanded one, according to ABC News.