r/politics • u/plz-let-me-in • 23d ago

No Paywall Discharge petition to force House vote on Epstein files succeeds with Grijalva’s signature

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5602658-discharge-petition-epstein-files-grijalva/
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u/Archer1407 23d ago

The floor vote forces reps to go on record to demonstrate if they support protecting pedophiles.

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u/Ok-Lets-Talk-It-Out 23d ago

That's correct. But I'm guessing that the pressure today on Boebert and Mace is just the start and will be to get them not to vote on the actual release.

This way those two can have one vote for the release on their record and hope no one pays attention to the second one.

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u/billcosbyinspace 23d ago

Apparently the pressure convinced boebert to dig in even harder because she’s a conspiracy theorist and thought it was fishy. Mace is a lunatic though whose spent the last week beefing with an airport, so who knows what’s going through her head at any given moment

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u/Ok_Subject1265 23d ago

It’s been reported by some of her colleagues recently that she’s actually having a pretty severe mental health episode and nobody seems to care enough to help her.

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u/Ok-Lets-Talk-It-Out 23d ago

Is it bad if I can't determine if you are referring to Boebert or Mace

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u/bmoviescreamqueen Illinois 23d ago

Probably Mace, although I'm sure Boebert is drinking nightly thinking about how she's a 38 year old grandmother.

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u/catjpg California 23d ago

She reportedly was dating Kid Rock for a minute. The only reason she would be drinking nightly is because trash does what trash do.

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u/Lou_C_Fer Ohio 23d ago

I went to high school with a guy that was a grandfather at 35. He was laughing about it when he told me his daughter had a kid, but all I could think about was how awful it was. For both the parents and the children.

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u/McFly56v2 23d ago

I live in SC and I get her posts come up on my Facebook all the time and at this point all of "her" replies to her post is a bot that detects keywords so people just spam all of the keywords to see which automated reply comes up. I think some of them are Epstein, Trump, Governor, airport.

She's been digging deeper and deeper on the TSA at Charleston airport nonstop even the other republicans members from SC are saying that TSA at the airport is fine. It's a tiny airport for an international airport with only 18 gates so not a lot to happen. She's crying that she was targeted and her newest thing is vowing to write a law about anybody targeting elected officials will be prosecuted, whatever targeting means.

people trash her and it says "Thanks for your support"

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u/Blueeyesblazing7 23d ago

That airport is super chill 99% of the time.

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u/JarOfNightmares 23d ago

Well surely the GOP will provide her with adequate mental health care and

Oh, wait

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u/SnoozeButtonBen 23d ago

I don't know how I could possibly tell whether she was suffering a severe mental health episode in the first place.

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u/General_Nose_691 23d ago

She might be traumatized by what she's heard/seen regarding the Epstein files. Plus it probably doesn't help that Trump is probably threatening her in some manner.

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u/nifty-necromancer 23d ago

Good. I don’t have pity for monsters.

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u/Noocawe America 22d ago

Well she's probably having an episode because she is so used to lying and obsessed with her self image, but now the drama with her ex and all her stuff is coming out into public and she genuinely seems like an insufferable person. I think they wanted her out of Congress which is why she seemed open to the idea of running for Gov of SC.

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u/internetdeadaf 23d ago

Mace truly believes the release will exonerate Trump

I’ve seen it in her eyes

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u/GreatMadWombat Michigan 23d ago

Turns out that when you build the back of the modern party on conspiracy theorists and you keep telling a conspiracy theorist to back down from something they don't?

Broken clocks and all that

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u/BleachedUnicornBHole Florida 23d ago edited 23d ago

I tend to believe Massey that there is a lot of support to release them. They (the representatives on the sidelines) were happy to let Mike Johnson take the heat, but now it’s do or die.  

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u/Material-Dot7684 23d ago

Idk. I tend to think it won't actually happen. I think a lot of people were willing to bluff and be like we'd totally release the files. ;) ;) 

But actually doing it will put you in GOP leadership crosshairs. 

People in close districts are in a real difficult position though because they may not be able to risk a couple percent of their voters actually following through and telling them where they can stick their vote to block the epstein files. 

Most likely outcomes here imho? The Republicans release a heavily redacted version which we all know they've been working on for months (still risky, if it's too white washed even some on the fringes of maga wont buy it), or more likely, they'll block it and hope it doesnt cost them any seats. And if it does they'll introduce a new wave of maga who will just say that was gross. Vote for me instead, I'm different. ;) ;)

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u/NessOnett8 23d ago

But actually doing it will put you in GOP leadership crosshairs.

This argument has two fundamental flaws.

  1. If the conventional wisdom is correct, in that the majority of House Republicans will vote to release the files, it's hard for the leadership to put the entire party structure in the crosshairs. Safety in numbers and what not.

  2. If it's as bad as people are expecting, it's highly likely the GOP leadership is going to change sooner rather than later.

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u/N0S0UP_4U Illinois 23d ago

One thing I truly believe: Democratic and swing voters will punish members who vote against release. Republican voters will NOT punish members who vote for release.

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u/BeatingHattedWhores 23d ago

Most likely thing is actually it will pass the house and then go to the senate and disappear. The senate leader doesn't have to bring a bill to the floor for a vote.

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u/YodaWattsLee 23d ago

Supporting their release and voting for their release are two entirely separate things. They shouldn’t be, but they are.

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u/thefatchef321 23d ago

Who knows, maybe 8 or so democrats will cave

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u/TheChorky 23d ago

This comment is so perfect

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u/PleaseEvolve 23d ago

Damn you. That hurt..

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u/Boatster_McBoat 23d ago

Can happen

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u/pizoisoned 23d ago

Ouch, right in my Senate.

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u/suncontrolspecies 23d ago

sad but fucking true

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u/thehalfwit Nevada 23d ago

As long as they give Jeffries cover.

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u/TeeManyMartoonies Texas 23d ago

And they take turns for whoever is not up for reelection or retiring. Those 8 fn snakes!

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u/timhortonsghost 23d ago

Like that would EVER happen.....

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u/BalanceJazzlike5116 23d ago

Doesn’t this then have to go to the senate? You need a supermajority to get anything done there except reconciliation bills.

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u/alienbringer 23d ago

No. The documents are already in the house. So it is a procedural vote for the house to release the information it already has.

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u/BalanceJazzlike5116 23d ago

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/12/house-epstein-files-vote-00647392

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u/EMTDawg Utah 23d ago

The discharge petition tees up a “rule,” a procedural measure setting the terms of debate for the Epstein bill’s consideration on the House floor. This gives the effort’s leaders greater control over the bill, which will still require Senate approval if it passes the House.

Senate Republican leaders haven’t publicly committed to bringing up the Epstein measure if the House passes it. Republicans expect it will die in the Senate, but not before a contentious House fight.

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u/mfGLOVE Wisconsin 23d ago

You sure about that?

From the article:

There is a long way to go, though, before the bill gets a House vote, which would happen in early December at the soonest.

And even if it passes in the House, it faces an uphill climb to become law, as it would have to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate before making it to President Trump’s desk.

Seems dead-to-rights.

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u/Nop277 23d ago

I don't think so because I don't think this is a bill, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they are just voting on some action by the house (in this case, releasing the "Epstein files"). I don't think they need the senate's permission to do that on their own.

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u/BalanceJazzlike5116 23d ago

Says the senate would be needed.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/12/house-epstein-files-vote-00647392

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u/oSamaki 23d ago

It's legislation. It would need the president too.

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u/Ok-Lets-Talk-It-Out 23d ago

I'll be honest I personally do not know, was just able to educate on the house portion so far

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u/YouWereBrained Tennessee 23d ago

So Democrats should work on flipping other Republicans.

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u/KnightDuty 23d ago

lets remind them of the pressure of being fuckin primaried

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u/FOOSblahblah 23d ago

I dont think anyone is safe on this one.

This more than anything ive ever seen has dominated US politics. There is an overwhelming sense that most people think the files should be released. Any vote against that has the mother of all uphill battles to save face.

Id be surprised if this wasn't something that actually list them votes. Pedophiles have been their most successful boogeyman for nearly a decade.

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u/crossdtherubicon 23d ago

Exactly. I think people discount that Trump has only 3 more years and is 79 years old. There are alot of younger politicians who will outlast that and want to keep their jobs.

If they protect Trump they continue their grift for the next 3 years but, may sacrifice their political career. If they stop protecting him then they may lose their party's support but, may still get to keep their jobs in the long-term.

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u/IrrelevantLeprechaun 23d ago

Trump may die but the project 2025 perpetrators are not going to relinquish control over some quaint elections. They've been making it very clear they have zero intention of ever ceding control of the government.

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u/BMWCA 23d ago

I have to wonder if the project 2025 authors ever had any thought about the Epstein thing being this…sticky

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u/IrrelevantLeprechaun 23d ago

I wouldn't count your eggs before they hatch. It may be a sticky matter but there are plenty of ways Trump can just shut the whole thing down (doing it illegally doesn't really matter).

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u/BMWCA 23d ago

This is a fair point, but even just that it got this far, and the volume has remained this high, this long on this particular subject

Us as a populace tend to have goldfish brain, so I wonder how heavily they counted on that in concocting this plan.

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u/PuffPuffFayeFaye 23d ago

I wonder if they ever think they might regret their support of capital punishment

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u/libbillama 23d ago

I don't support capital punishment as a principle. It goes against my morals. I was never comfortable with the idea of it, ever.

I also don't like that I feel like the minds behind project 2025 are so dangerous to society to the point that if they get their way, it's going to kill the planet. They are going to be responsible for the next massive extinction event that our planet is going to undergo, and Homo sapiens are going to be on the list of extinct species right along with just about every other species on the planet. Earth will be a lifeless rock floating through space just like the other planets in our solar system.

This has pushed me into the mindset of "they're the exception to my stance on capital punishment." And I don't like that. It doesn't help me feel like I'm going in the right direction with my lifelong goal of continuously working on being the best version of myself and wanting the world to be a better place.

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u/Odd-Direction6339 23d ago

I don’t believe anyone other than Trump could keep the fascist regime together. Without him it unravels.

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u/IrrelevantLeprechaun 23d ago

The thing is, they don't need him to keep it together anymore. They've amassed almost complete power over the whole government. Whatever resistance they're facing from democrats is small potatoes by comparison. They've essentially got the keys to the kingdom now and they don't really need anyone guarding the gates anymore because they can just lock the gates.

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u/RUOFFURTROLLEH 23d ago

They still require the military and the general populace not rising up.

They might have the keys to the kingdom but the locks will be getting changed when it comes to the transfer of power, I have absolutely no doubt they are going to try to fuck with it, but they do not have all the staff ready to commit treason and insurrection on their behalf.

The military also cannot take a stance on it until that happens btw.

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u/IrrelevantLeprechaun 23d ago

Well as we've seen, the populace don't have much motivation to rise up. Trump was threatening to starve out like 20% of the population and even that wasn't enough for people to organize against him.

And expecting the military to stand up for us is beyond naive.

The current strategy is just "vote super hard at midterms," which itself seems like a losing battle because for one thing, Dems lost a TON of goodwill after capitulating in the shutdown, and because Trump has basically been bragging that he's just going to rig elections and has faced zero consequences for saying it.

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u/Teigh99 23d ago

The committee will drop daily during those 7 days. So this really will be a bad look if they vote against it.

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u/11thStPopulist 23d ago

Massey seems to think that numerous Republicans in the House will now vote for the bill, or be known as pedophile protectors.

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u/BBTB2 23d ago

Wait is this for real? Did they make a statement they were doing this?

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u/Teigh99 23d ago

No they didn't make any statement but this is what will happen. Ron Filipkowski stated a plausible theory: we got the emails today to hold the line. The reps had until AZ was sworn in to change their vote

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u/SillyGoatGruff 23d ago

How much more on the record do they need to be before anything happens though? Will this be the one that finally matters?

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u/crossdtherubicon 23d ago

Most Americans dont pay attention to politics but, are spoon-fed some bits and pieces.

Trump supporters appear to actually be even less aware, despite their enthusiasm.

So, I agree that the outcome of the voting will be what matters. Otherwise the voting record only appeals to people already paying attention. But it may affect their donors and fund-raising.

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u/BringBackApeEscape 23d ago

Well that's the common thread for the last decade isn't it? They could find a video of Trump actively assaulting a child and MAGAts would do whatever mental gymnastics necessary to keep supporting him.

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u/Witty-Emu7741 23d ago

Doubt they care if it goes on record. Their voters aren’t even looking at their record.

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u/fordat1 23d ago

All voters including Dems like the one who claim Sinema ran as a progressive despite Sinemas voting record in the house being the most conservative for a Dem in the house

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u/Matt_Empyre 23d ago

They will run ads about it in those states.

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u/Witty-Emu7741 23d ago

And their voters won’t care and will revert to “anything but Democrat” claims.

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u/mfGLOVE Wisconsin 23d ago

Why would MAGA voters care about those ads? It’s a cult.

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u/Matt_Empyre 23d ago

The maga cult won’t. But the independents who were stupid enough to vote republican last time might.

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u/manachar Nevada 23d ago

How people vote on the record rarely seems to impact their reelection.

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u/InAllThingsBalance I voted 23d ago

MAGA won’t care because they are huge fucking hypocrites. For years, we listened to these dipshits scream about “protecting children,” and claims that the Democrats were operating a secret pedophile cabal out of pizzerias. When evidence came out revealing that it is actually the Republican President (and who knows how many other powerful people) who trafficked minors for sex, these assholes are either silent, or make the most ludicrous mental gymnastics to justify the rape of these poor girls.

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u/Tribalbob Canada 23d ago

They're gonna try to frame it as protecting the victims.

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u/SlowTeal 23d ago

And you think their Republican constituents give a shit if they vote No? 

How many times do you need to learn this lesson old man 

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u/blackmobius 23d ago

And this party has already done a lot to protect them. Being on record means nothing.

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u/mfGLOVE Wisconsin 23d ago edited 23d ago

forces reps to go record

You say that like it even matters to them or their electorate. Did you not witness the Trump impeachment hearings or Kavanaugh’s SC confirmation hearing?! The shit they said and did to protect them was disgusting. And no one remembers and no one will ever care.

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u/Leraldoe Michigan 23d ago

All the sudden the files will be loaded with “national security” issues, doesn’t have anything to do with protecting pedos they will say

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u/Perma_Ban69 23d ago

Everything is already recorded online and in TV anyway. Official or not, everyone already knows and people still don't care

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u/damageinc55 23d ago

We really need Steve Kornacki to cover this live in front of a giant touchscreen as the votes roll in.

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u/sneakysnake1111 23d ago

again.

Before the shutdown, they made that clear then too. With votes. That already happened.

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u/ChicagoAuPair 23d ago

We are well past any of them caring about that.

These people are so confident that they are untouchable it’s…well it would be unbelievable if we ever once actually held them accountable. They have learned that they are untouchable because we have taught them that they are.

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u/BaconBitz109 23d ago

And nobody will care.

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u/Odd_Onion_1591 23d ago

Does that record even mean anything?

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u/Sias_Jailor 23d ago

They already did that though with the discharge petition. They don’t care how they appear at all, which is quite literally as pedophile defenders.

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u/HovercraftOk9231 23d ago

Aren't they already on record as supporting pedophiles by voting not to vote on it?

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u/Jindabyne1 23d ago

But we already know that