Massie Forces Second Epstein Files Vote as Petition Hits 218 Signatures

Rep. Thomas Massie announced on Wednesday that his discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II has reached the required 218 signatures, forcing the House of Representatives to vote on legislation compelling the Justice Department to release its remaining files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The milestone ends a two-month stall at 216 signatures and marks the second time in a year that the Kentucky Republican has used the discharge procedure to bypass House leadership on Epstein records.

Massie announced on social media that the petition had "reached the required 218 signatures." The 218th signature came from Rep. John Garamendi of California, after Rep. Adam Smith of Washington signed earlier in the week. All 214 House Democrats signed, joined by four Republicans: Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Ralph Norman of South Carolina. Under House rules, seven legislative days must pass before the discharge motion can be considered, putting a floor vote in reach from November 30 or December 2-3, after the Thanksgiving recess, unless Speaker Mike Johnson brings the bill up himself.

Key Points

• Rep. Thomas Massie says his discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II reached 218 signatures on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, forcing a House vote.
• The 218th signature came from Rep. John Garamendi of California; all 214 House Democrats signed, plus four Republicans.
• The bill would let members of Congress, state attorneys general and Epstein survivors sue the attorney general over withheld or redacted Epstein records.
• It builds on the first Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025, under which the Justice Department has released more than 3 million pages.
• A floor vote is possible from November 30 or December 2-3; the bill must still pass the Senate and be signed before the 119th Congress ends January 3.

What Happened

Massie filed the petition on August 31 with Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico. For almost two months it appeared stuck at 216 signatures, two short of the majority needed to force a bill out of committee and onto the House floor. The breakthrough came this week, when Smith signed and Garamendi added the decisive 218th name on Wednesday. The petition is the eighth discharge petition to reach 218 signatures in the 119th Congress, a sign of how often members have turned to the procedure in a closely divided House.

Background: The First Transparency Law

The fight over the Epstein files reached a turning point in 2025. Massie and Khanna forced the original Epstein Files Transparency Act to the floor through a discharge petition, the House passed it 427-1, and President Donald Trump signed it into law on November 19, 2025. The law required the Justice Department to publish its Epstein-related records, subject to redactions to protect victims and ongoing investigations.

The Justice Department has released more than 3 million pages under that law, though it previously said it had collected more than 6 million pages. The department maintains it released every document the law required and that the rest was duplicative, unrelated to Epstein, or privileged. Massie disputes that account, saying in July that the department "continues to unlawfully withhold over 3 million Epstein files." A CBS News review found gaps in the department's document numbering suggesting pages were removed, and the Government Accountability Office is investigating the redactions.

Epstein Files Transparency Act II: What the Bill Would Do

The new bill is designed to close the gaps Massie says the first law left open. Its central provision would give members of Congress, state attorneys general and Epstein survivors the right to sue the attorney general for withholding, redacting, delaying or failing to publish Epstein-related records. Under the first law, critics say, there was no practical way to challenge the department's decisions about what to release and what to hold back.

The bill would also bar the Justice Department from withholding documents under common-law privileges such as attorney-client privilege, a ground Massie and his allies say the department has used to shield material that should have been public. Massie has said the new bill is meant to help survivors obtain their own records and to let state attorneys general prosecute crimes tied to the files.

Reactions and Quotes

Massie's announcement was brief and direct: his petition had "reached the required 218 signatures." After weeks at 216, the Kentucky Republican had the majority he needed, and the vote he has sought since August is now a matter of the House calendar rather than of persuasion.

The Justice Department maintains it released every document the law required and that the rest was duplicative, unrelated to Epstein, or privileged. The coming floor debate will put those competing accounts before the full House for the first time since the original law passed.

Why It Matters

A successful discharge petition is rare, and two in a year on the same subject is rarer still. Massie has now forced his own party's leadership to schedule votes on Epstein files legislation twice, each time with the support of every House Democrat and a small group of Republicans willing to break with their leadership. The 218 signatures are a bipartisan majority for a vote, even if they do not guarantee the bill itself will pass.

What Happens Next

Under House rules, seven legislative days must pass after a petition reaches 218 signatures before a motion to discharge the measure can be considered. With the Thanksgiving recess under way, floor action is possible from November 30 or December 2-3. Speaker Mike Johnson could also bring the bill up himself before then. If the House passes the bill, it must still pass the Senate and be signed by President Trump before the 119th Congress ends on January 3, a compressed timetable that leaves little room for delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Epstein Files Transparency Act II?
It would let members of Congress, state attorneys general and Epstein survivors sue the attorney general over withheld or redacted Epstein records, and bar the Justice Department from withholding documents under common-law privileges.

How did Massie force a House vote?
Through a discharge petition, which needs 218 signatures to force a bill onto the floor. It reached 218 on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with Rep. John Garamendi providing the final signature.

When could the House vote?
Seven legislative days must pass after the petition hit 218, so a vote is possible from November 30 or December 2-3, after the Thanksgiving recess, unless Speaker Mike Johnson brings the bill up sooner.

What happened under the first transparency law?
It passed the House 427-1 and was signed by President Trump on November 19, 2025. The Justice Department has released more than 3 million pages, though it said it collected more than 6 million.

Does the bill still need to pass the Senate?
Yes. If it passes the House, it must also pass the Senate and be signed by the president before the 119th Congress ends on January 3.

Read more: Massie vows to force House vote as petition sits at 216 signatures; Judge orders release of Epstein grand jury transcripts; House Oversight Epstein report blames federal failures.