Epstein Files Act II Petition Reaches 218 Signatures; House Vote Could Come as Early as December 2
Washington — The discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, championed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, reached 218 signatures on Wednesday (Nov. 11), with Rep. John Garamendi, a California Democrat, providing the decisive signature that forces a House vote on the bill. The petition, filed on August 31, carries all 214 House Democrats and four Republicans — Massie, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania; Rep. Adam Smith of Washington signed as the 217th on Nov. 10.
The bill (H.R. 9694) is designed to close enforcement gaps in the first Epstein Files Transparency Act, allowing Epstein victims, state attorneys general, local prosecutors and members of Congress to sue over Justice Department records that are withheld, redacted, delayed or never released. The first act, signed by President Trump on November 19, 2025, requires the department to release the records; the House Oversight Committee on Nov. 10 also issued a 137-page report faulting decades of federal mishandling. Under House rules, a discharge motion must sit on the discharge calendar for seven legislative days, putting the earliest vote on December 2 or 3, after the Thanksgiving recess. Massie introduced the bill on July 15 with Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna and Teresa Leger Fernández.
Related: Epstein Files Act II Discharge Petition Reaches 217 Signatures, One Short of Forcing a House Vote
Source: U.S. House of Representatives
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国会大厦资料图，《爱泼斯坦档案透明法 II》解除请愿达 218 签后，众议院将在此进行表决。维基共享资源，公共领域。 / Photo: The U.S. Capitol (file photo), where the House will vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II after its discharge petition reached 218 signatures. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
- 2026-11-10Discharge Petition for Epstein Files Transparency Act II Reaches 217 Signatures, One Short of Forcing a House Vote
- 2026-11-11Epstein Files Act II Petition Reaches 218 Signatures; House Vote Could Come as Early as December 2This story
