By Steve Neavling
Senate Republicans on Wednesday narrowly voted 51-49 to table an amendment that would have directed the Justice Department to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein, after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., forced a surprise vote that infuriated Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
The vote exposed divisions within the GOP as MAGA-aligned voters press for transparency, The Hill reports. Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., broke with party leaders, siding with Democrats.
“This has been my consistent position,” Hawley told reporters. “My position has long been I think we ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files. I think this is a similar deal.”
He noted that former President Donald Trump recently urged the attorney general to release all non-classified Epstein files.
Thune had little choice but to allow the vote rather than pull the annual defense bill, a key Republican priority. Senior GOP senators had expected to kill Schumer’s amendment but some lawmakers voiced hesitation.
“We’ll see how it goes. We need to have a discussion about it but I think transparency is always good,” said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who sits on the Armed Services Committee.
