Inside his cavernous office on Monday afternoon, Speaker Mike Johnson was facing a growing crisis. The House GOP conference, which included some of the Louisiana Republican’s key allies, was in full rebellion over the spiraling Jeffrey Epstein situation.
Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and panel member Erin Houchin of Indiana informed House leaders that Republicans on the panel would not advance any rule for the week — the prerequisite for the chamber to fully function — without a better solution to the Epstein problem, according to two people with direct knowledge of the conversation.
The lawmakers knew that bucking their own leadership was an extreme response. But panel Republicans were incensed that a week earlier, they were all but forced to vote against a Democratic effort calling for the release of Epstein-related information. Many, including Houchin, were under intense pressure from constituents to support the unsealing, and they wanted leaders to provide more political cover.
Hours later, Johnson and senior Republicans decided to shut down the Rules Committee altogether, which meant forgoing votes on two key immigration bills before lawmakers left for the month-long August recess. After some back and forth, leaders also scrapped votes scheduled for Thursday and sent members home a day early. The speaker later defended his strategy, saying House Republicans were refusing to play Democrats’ “political games” over the deceased financier and convicted sex offender.
One Rules Committee Republican, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, suggested Johnson had bought himself some time — for now.
“I think the administration will put more stuff out in August. … If they don’t, then I promise you, there’s going to be some more looking at this in the first week of September,” he warned.
This account of the House breakdown is based on interviews this week with more than a dozen lawmakers and aides who described a level of anger within the conference that went beyond even what was on display publicly. Behind closed doors, standoffs played out between GOP leaders and rank-and-file members who found themselves divided over being forced to take more Epstein-related votes.
The revolt of House Republicans who favored releasing Epstein case documents surprised White House officials and multiple members of GOP leadership. Trump officials in particular, who are used to House Republicans rolling over to the president’s every whim,…
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