William Shakespeare famously wrote about the “winter of our discontent” in Richard III, where he described a bleak winter turning into a “glorious summer.” However, for House Republicans in 2025, it seems like that “glorious summer” has faded away due to the Epstein files controversy.
Many Republicans are divided over the Epstein issue, with some wanting it to disappear while others, particularly conservative House Republicans connected to the MAGA base, are furious that the Trump administration has not released the files. This group of lawmakers represents a significant part of Trump’s base and is growing increasingly discontented.
Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky, who has been vocal about pushing for the release of the files, expressed concern that the issue will not go away in August and could impact the party’s votes in the midterms. Massie, along with Representative Ro Khanna from California, introduced a measure to compel the House to vote on demanding the release of the files, but the vote was delayed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the decision to adjourn early for the August recess, stating that it had been planned since December 2024. However, some Republicans, like Representative Tim Burchett from Tennessee, criticized the short workweek and expressed frustration over the handling of the Epstein issue.
The impasse over the Epstein files led to the cancellation of a bill by Representative Stephanie Bice from Oklahoma, highlighting the ongoing challenges within the party. Despite calls for a resolution, the issue remains unresolved as the House adjourned for the recess.
Representative Ralph Norman from South Carolina supported the early adjournment, noting that Democrats were using the Epstein issue as a wedge to create problems for Republicans and Trump. Massie remained confident that his resolution with Khanna would come to a vote in September, emphasizing that the issue was not going away.
As the House wrapped up its business before the recess, Democratic Representative Summer Lee from Pennsylvania unexpectedly called for a vote to subpoena the Epstein files, challenging her Republican colleagues to take action on the issue of child sex trafficking. The move highlighted the deep divisions within the party over the controversial files and the challenges they pose. A group of Republican lawmakers, including Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Brian Jack of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, comprised the rest of the GOP team.
The panel voted 8-2 to issue subpoenas for the Epstein files, with Perry amending Lee’s proposal to also subpoena former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller, as well as former Attorneys General Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Bill Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales.
This issue shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon.
The House Appropriations Committee had planned a “markup session” to prepare the annual Commerce, Justice, and Science spending bill for the floor on Thursday. However, the meeting was abruptly canceled on Wednesday night. This cancellation was partly due to “exhaustion,” as members have been in Washington for an extended period this summer. Additionally, the House had canceled votes, and Appropriations Committee members were not eager to remain in Washington. The threat of Epstein-related amendments also played a role in the decision to cancel the meeting.
Following the cancellation of votes for the week, both Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana emphasized that committees would still convene.
“We have nine or ten committees working through markups this week, many tomorrow,” Johnson stated on Wednesday.
Scalise added, “We’re going to have committee meetings through Thursday. And there’s still a lot of work being done. Most members know that the work of Congress is mostly done in committee.”
However, this time was an exception.
Although the House Oversight Committee held closed-door testimony from former Biden administration Chief of Staff Ron Klain regarding President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities, little else took place in the House.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York declared, “Today marks the first day of the House embarking on their Epstein recess, and already the story Republicans hoped would quietly fade is growing louder by the hour.”
Congressman Khanna predicted, “It’s going to keep percolating. This is just breathing more life.”
August is typically a slow news month, and the Epstein files may fill that void, further fueling the summer of discontent.
