House Democrats are ramping up pressure on Republicans to release the remaining Jeffrey Epstein case files, a move that may fall short legislatively but is expected to corner GOP lawmakers politically—especially those aligned with President Donald Trump.
Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) announced plans over the weekend to introduce an amendment Tuesday that would compel a House vote on ordering Attorney General Pam Bondi to make all Epstein-related files public. Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, remains at the center of public speculation about elite connections and a potential cover-up.
“Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich & powerful being protected?” Khanna wrote on social media Sunday. His amendment, he added, would force every member of Congress to publicly declare whether they support full transparency.
Khanna’s push follows the Justice Department’s announcement last week that it found no credible evidence of a so-called “client list” or foul play in Epstein’s death—effectively signaling an end to further releases. The decision triggered a bipartisan uproar, particularly among Trump’s base, which has long demanded answers about Epstein’s network and possible links to powerful figures.
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the move, but it only deepened skepticism within MAGA circles already uneasy with the administration’s backpedaling.
According to a draft shared with HuffPost, Khanna’s amendment would be attached to a cryptocurrency bill currently under review by the House Rules Committee. If adopted, it would direct Bondi to compile and publicly release all remaining Epstein records within 30 days of passage.
Representative Marc Veasey (D-Texas) is also expected to introduce a separate resolution Monday demanding the files’ release. “Either [President Trump] and his acolytes fueled the rumors of these Epstein files to boost his campaign, or something is there,” Veasey said, raising the possibility of a cover-up.
While both proposals face long odds in a Republican-controlled chamber, they will force a critical vote from the nine GOP members of the Rules Committee—pitting them between loyalty to the Trump administration and the growing anger of a base that feels misled.
President Trump himself further inflamed tensions on Saturday with a Truth Social post downplaying the significance of the Epstein files, calling them a distraction driven by “Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden administration.”
That statement marked a dramatic shift from Trump’s previous rhetoric, which had amplified speculation around the Epstein case. His sudden dismissal left many supporters feeling blindsided.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, a longtime Epstein skeptic and conservative firebrand, threatened to resign over Bondi’s handling of the case. He allegedly skipped work Friday and warned colleagues he’d quit unless Bondi is removed.
The escalating internal friction and public backlash place the Trump administration in a bind. For now, Democrats are seizing the moment—not necessarily to win a vote, but to draw a line in the sand and force Republicans to take a stand.