House cancels votes amid fight over Jeffrey Epstein files

House Republicans cancelled a day of votes because of a fight over the Jeffrey Epstein files.

WASHINGTON — The GOP-controlled House is cutting short its last workweek before the summer recess because of a fight on Capitol Hill over the release of the government’s files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The House was scheduled to hold votes on Thursday before lawmakers departed for their five-week recess. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., even told reporters Monday night that he wouldn't send lawmakers home early this week.

But Republican leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers on Tuesday that the final vote of the week would now be a day earlier, on Wednesday afternoon. The shift in schedule occurred because of a standoff on the Rules Committee, which decides how legislation comes to the floor but has been ground to a halt by the Epstein issue.

The panel, which is closely aligned with Johnson, typically passes a rule for legislation on Monday that sets up debate and allows bills to come to the floor for the week. But Democrats had promised Monday to force the committee to take more votes on whether to require the Trump administration to release all remaining files from the Epstein case.

To avoid embarrassing votes on Epstein, Republicans decided to recess the committee and not attempt to pass a rule for bills this week. Without a rule, Republicans would be left with nothing to vote on after Wednesday.