U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on July 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Congressional Lawmakers have returned to work on Capitol Hill after the weekend.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The House of Representatives will begin its August recess early to avoid Republicans being forced to vote on Democratic-backed motions related to the Jeffrey Epstein files.
“There’s no purpose for Congress to push an administration to do something that they’re already doing,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Tuesday.
“And so this is for political games,” Johnson said about lawmakers’ efforts to force votes on releasing Justice Department investigative files about the notorious sex offender Epstein, and his convicted procurer Ghislaine Maxwell.
Republicans, who control the House majority, cancelled votes expected to take place on Thursday. The House will begin its August recess on Wednesday afternoon.
The Trump administration, faced a strong backlash over the Department of Justice’s decision to renege on a promise to release the Epstein and Maxwell case files, has taken several steps to mitigate that criticism in recent days.
Attorney General Pam Bondi had DOJ lawyers last week ask federal judges to unseal the transcripts of grand jury proceedings related to the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell.
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