US House Speaker Mike Johnson cuts summer session short to avoid Epstein files vote

In a surprise move Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson announced that the House of Representatives would adjourn early for its summer recess, abruptly ending legislative business to avoid a contentious vote on the release of documents related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The decision effectively shields House Republicans from a politically volatile procedural vote that Democrats had planned to force, calling on the Justice Department to publicly release Epstein-related files. The issue has sharply divided the GOP, with some members echoing public calls for transparency, while others seek to avoid backlash from former President Donald Trump and his supporters.

“We’re done being lectured on transparency,” Johnson said in a visibly frustrated press conference. He accused Democrats of politicizing the Epstein investigation and insisted Republicans have been “intellectually consistent.”

Johnson’s move has delayed action on several Republican-backed initiatives, including measures targeting undocumented immigrants and rolling back environmental regulations. The Rules Committee, which controls what reaches the House floor, was thrown into disarray amid internal Republican disagreements over the Epstein vote.

All but one Republican on the Rules Committee, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, blocked a measure that would have allowed debate on the files. Norman later defended the decision, calling Democratic efforts “theater” and “a waste of time.”

The early recess drew swift criticism from Democrats, who accused the GOP of caving to Trump. “They do whatever Donald Trump tells them to do,” said Rep. Robert Garcia of California. House Majority PAC spokeswoman Katarina Flicker added, “House Republicans will do anything to protect the elite, powerful and well connected.”

Despite public pressure from MAGA-aligned voters and lawmakers, Johnson declined to commit to a vote on the Epstein files this summer, citing the need to protect the innocent and allow the Trump administration “space” to consider the issue.

However, divisions within the GOP are growing. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene warned, “If there’s no justice and no accountability, people are going to get sick of it.” Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said he plans to pursue a discharge petition to force a vote in September, with or without GOP leadership.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee voted Tuesday to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, for a deposition, further escalating tensions over the case.

The House is now expected to reconvene in September.