Senate GOP blocks amendment to release Epstein files

Senate Republicans on Wednesday voted to table an amendment from Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer that would have compelled the release of government files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, dealing a setback to growing bipartisan calls for transparency.

The amendment, tied to the National Defense Authorization Act, was blocked in a 51-49 vote. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined Democrats in opposing the motion to dismiss, underscoring rare cross-party alignment on the issue.

Schumer’s proposal mirrored a House discharge petition led by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), which has already drawn significant attention in the lower chamber. While the House has increasingly waded into the Epstein controversy, the Senate has until now largely sidestepped it.

Supporters of the amendment argued that the files, which are believed to contain key details about Epstein’s network and activities, should be made public in the interest of accountability. “My position has long been I think we ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files,” Hawley said following his vote.

Republican leadership, however, dismissed Schumer’s maneuver as a political ploy. “A stunt,” declared Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), telling reporters that the amendment would be swiftly “disposed of.”

Despite Wednesday’s vote, the issue is unlikely to fade. Massie’s discharge petition is expected to trigger a House vote by the end of the month, regardless of whether additional Republicans join in support.

The blocked measure highlights a widening divide in Congress over how aggressively to pursue the release of Epstein-related records, even as public pressure for disclosure continues to mount.