Massie's Epstein Files Petition Hits 218 Signatures, Floor Action Possible Dec. 2 or 3

A discharge petition by Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie reached the 218 signatures needed today, Wednesday, Nov. 11, to force a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II. Massie announced it on X: "This morning we reached the required 218 signatures."

All 214 Democrats signed. So did four Republicans: Massie, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. Rep. John Garamendi, a California Democrat, was the last Democratic signature, a day after Washington Democrat Adam Smith added his name.

What the bill does

The legislation targets the Justice Department's compliance with the first Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Trump signed on Nov. 19, 2025, after an earlier Massie discharge petition forced that vote.

The new bill would let state attorneys general, district attorneys, members of Congress and Epstein's victims sue the U.S. attorney general for withholding, redacting, delaying or failing to publish Epstein-related records.

Victims would get access to full, unredacted records about themselves, including FBI interview reports. The Justice Department would also have to give state and local prosecutors the unredacted records they need, including secure access to classified materials.

Massie introduced the bill July 15 with Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna and Teresa Leger Fernández. Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ben Ray Luján are leading the Senate version.

Massie's accusations against DOJ

Massie says the department has "flagrantly and consistently ignored" the disclosure requirements of the 2025 law. In his July 15 statement he said DOJ "continues to unlawfully withhold over 3 million Epstein files" and keeps "heavy redactions" on the ones it does release.

Those are Massie's allegations, and he is the one making them. The bill's lawsuit mechanism would send that dispute to a court rather than leave it to a floor speech. A judge, not a congressman, would decide whether the department has complied.

Massie said he is working with Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Leger Fernández and Khanna to "get this to the floor for a vote soon."

The calendar

The petition does not produce a vote immediately. Once it hits 218, the motion sits on the calendar for at least seven legislative days. After that, one of the signers must offer the motion. The speaker then has two legislative days to act on it. If the motion passes, the House moves to consider the bill itself.

Given the Thanksgiving recess, floor action could come as early as Dec. 2 or 3.

Discharge petitions were once rare. This is the eighth to reach 218 signatures in the 119th Congress.

A short runway

Republicans hand over their House majority on Jan. 3, 2027, after Democrats' midterm victory. The lame-duck session is already crowded. A Dec. 11 deadline looms to fund the government, and the National Defense Authorization Act is also pending.

That leaves a narrow window. Even if the House passes the bill in early December, the Senate has to act. The Senate version carries only Democratic sponsors so far. Any bill that passes both chambers would then need the president's signature.

Trump signed the first act, which Congress passed overwhelmingly. Whether his administration will accept a bill that exposes the Justice Department to lawsuits is an open question. So is whether the Senate will take it up before the new Congress is sworn in.