Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said Thursday he is confident he can force a House floor vote next week on a follow-up to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a measure that would expand the scope of the original law and unlock new legal avenues for survivors and state prosecutors.
In a post on X, Massie wrote: “When we return next week, we’ll get 218 signatures for Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which guarantees a vote.” He added that the bill would ensure “survivors will be able to get their own records, State Attorneys General can prosecute crimes, and we can take the DOJ to court for keeping critical files hidden.”
The original Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed with broad bipartisan support, compelled the Justice Department to release its extensive collection of records related to deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But advocates, including Massie and his Democratic co-sponsor, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), argue that the disclosures remain incomplete and that more must be done to identify and prosecute Epstein’s accomplices.
Khanna, who has dubbed the new proposal the “Epstein 2.0 Act,” said it would “allow state attorney generals to prosecute the pedophiles who abused and trafficked young girls.” The bill is designed to give state-level prosecutors the legal standing to bring charges in cases where federal authorities have declined to act, and to allow survivors to obtain their own case files directly from federal agencies.
Massie and Khanna have long asserted that Epstein operated with a network of co-conspirators who have yet to face criminal consequences. The new legislation would also permit lawsuits against the Department of Justice if it continues to withhold records that the pair say are essential to full accountability.
The discharge petition, a procedural tool that bypasses leadership and brings a bill directly to the floor if it garners 218 signatures, is a high-risk maneuver. Massie’s announcement comes as Congress returns from the election recess, and he expressed confidence that the necessary support would materialize.
The push for the second bill reflects growing pressure from survivors and transparency advocates who say the initial release of Epstein’s files, while unprecedented, still contained heavy redactions and omitted key investigative materials. They have called for unredacted documents and for prosecutions of wealthy and powerful figures who allegedly participated in or enabled Epstein’s crimes.
The original law’s passage marked a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation on a politically charged issue, and the sequel appears poised to follow a similar path. However, the discharge petition route is rarely successful, and Massie will need to win over a substantial bloc of both Republicans and Democrats to force the vote.
Political observers note that the issue has become a rallying point for conservative and progressive critics of the federal justice system alike, and Massie’s move is likely to draw intense scrutiny from both parties as the new Congress prepares to convene.
If the bill reaches the floor and passes, it would represent a significant expansion of state power in federal criminal matters and a direct challenge to the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein case. For now, Massie’s confidence suggests he believes the political winds are favorable.
