Senate Republicans defeat Democrats’ effort to force the release of Epstein files

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press WASHINGTON AP In a close vote Senate Republicans defeated an effort Wednesday by Democrats to insert language into Congress annual defense authorization bill that would have forced the inhabitants release of development files on the sex trafficking analysis into the late Jeffrey Epstein Related Articles Charlie Kirk helped build patronage for Trump among young people Trump s deportation plans effect in fewer immigrants and slower population advancement CBO says Conservative activist Charlie Kirk assassinated at Utah university From slavery to corruption National Park employees flagged material deemed disparaging to US Trump administration wants to cancel Biden-era rule that made conservation a use of population land The Senate voted - to dismiss the changes to the bill with Republican Sens Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky joining with all Democrats in opposition For months Democrats have clamored for the release of what s become known as the Epstein files looking for practically every opportunity to force Republicans to either join their push for disclosure or publicly oppose a cause that multiple in the Republican base encouragement President Donald Trump signaled as he was running for president that he was open to releasing a full accounting of the incident but is now trying to dismiss the push as a Democrat hoax So far Democrats have been flourishing in forcing Republican leadership to grapple with the issue yet it was unclear whether they would authentically be able to crack Trump s hold on congressional Republicans to force rule through Congress I ask my Republican colleagues after all those years you spent calling for accountability for transparency for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes why won t you vote yes Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer explained in a floor speech Wednesday The New York Democrat maneuvered earlier Wednesday to force a procedural vote on language that would force the Justice Department to release the Epstein files inserting it into an annual defense agenda bill that Congress has to pass Senate Republican leadership was then forced to hold a vote to dispense with Schumer s amendment arguing that he was inserting political gamesmanship into defense act that often enjoys bipartisan advocacy This is not the right way to do it reported Sen Mike Rounds a South Dakota Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune noted earlier this week that the Justice Department has already published tons of files on Epstein I trust them in terms of having the confidence that they ll get as much information out there as accomplishable in a way that protects the rights of the casualties added Thune R-S D Still various in the Republican base as well as specific sufferers of Epstein s abuse have been unsatisfied with what the Justice Department has so far published The calls for disclosure of Epstein s episode has at moments consumed Congress looming over politics even more than when Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in on charges that disclosed he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls The scenario was brought more than a decade after he secretly cut a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to dispose of nearly identical charges Epstein was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them Inquired by reporters Wednesday why Democrats had not pushed for disclosure when they controlled the White House Schumer responded It s become so apparent that they re lying about it in every different way and the demands of the American people are so great The need is greater than ever now he added Meanwhile a separate effort to force a vote on a similar bill in the House inched ahead Democrats picked up one more House seat when Rep James Walkinshaw D-Va was sworn into office after winning a special polling this week It gives them one more supporter for a procedure called a discharge petition to maneuver around Republican leadership s control of the House floor and hold a vote on bill to force the Justice Department to release the Epstein files Four Republicans have also signed onto the discharge petition meaning that it is just one name short of having the promotion needed to potentially force a vote That could come as soon as the end of this month when a heavily blue congressional district in Arizona holds a special referendum to fill a vacant seat