Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is soon to come face-to-face with difficult political decisions thanks to the actions of House Republicans.
The House this week plans to pass legislation to compel the release of the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files that will come on the heels of a last-minute reversal by President Donald Trump, which for months has been a contentious point of debate among Republicans.
TRUMP CALLS ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO PASS BILL RELEASING FULL EPSTEIN FILES
The lower chamber is also expected to pass a separate measure to roll back a controversial provision tucked into the shutdown-ending funding bill entitling Republican senators whose phone records were surveilled in connection to the 2021 Capitol attack to each sue the federal government for $500,000 or more.
Both are expected to clear the GOP-controlled House, presenting the latest friction point between the chambers and forcing Thune to reckon with whether to ignore bills fixated on subjects that have split the GOP or try to navigate the political peril by forging ahead with votes.
Senate GOP leaders have previously shown little willingness to entertain Epstein legislation to force the release of federal records tied to the late convicted sex offender. That includes Thune, who has downplayed the need to consider the measure but has also endorsed the Justice Department releasing the files without legislation.
A forced Senate vote in September by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to release the files ended in defeat mostly along party lines, with only two Republicans — Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Rand Paul (R-KY) — siding with all Democrats to vote against tabling the measure. The House’s forthcoming vote is being forced against the wishes of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after a majority of lawmakers signed a discharge petition.
But all that was before Trump offered political cover to Republicans over the weekend by urging the House to pass the measure, marking a stark reversal from his previous lobbying against it. He posted to Truth Social, urging House Republicans to “vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown.’”
Trump suggested Monday that the Senate should hold a vote but advised senators not to dwell on the subject so as not to “detract from the success of the Republican Party.” If passed by Congress, Trump confirmed he would sign it into law.
“They can do whatever they want. Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office. “But don’t talk about it too much because, honestly, I don’t want to take it away from us. It’s really a Democrat problem.”
Email correspondence released by House Democrats last week revealed conversations in which Epstein alleged Trump, prior to becoming president, “spent hours at my house” and “of course he knew about the girls.”
Thune’s office did not comment on how he intends to handle the Epstein files or legislation on the DOJ surveillance operation known as “Arctic Frost.” As majority leader, Thune can block most roll-call votes. Senate Democrats, who’ve advocated the release of the files, are expected to ratchet up the pressure and attempt to drive a further wedge among Republicans by trying to pass the legislation via unanimous consent, which any one member can block.
Johnson has softened his opposition to a provision Thune slipped into recent government funding legislation that greenlights a legal payout to the eight GOP senators whose phone records were subpoenaed without notice by former special counsel Jack Smith in his Jan. 6 investigation. It allows those affected lawmakers to sue the DOJ for $500,000 or more in damages and prompted wide-ranging criticism from Republicans, particularly in the House.
But after seeking clarity from Thune, Johnson said Senate Republicans’ “motivation was pure” and endorsed tweaking the provision so that it only applies to future cases rather than advocating a full repeal.
JOHNSON CHANGES TUNE ON ‘ARCTIC FROST’ FUNDING BILL PROVISION AFTER SPEAKING TO THUNE
“They were trying to put teeth into the provision of law that prevents these abuses like Jack Smith and these rogue prosecutors who weaponize the DOJ and go after political enemies,” Johnson said on Fox News Sunday. “There ought to be a penalty so we can deter further action like that in the future.”
The Epstein files bill could be passed in the House as early as Tuesday, and the DOJ legislation as early as Wednesday. The Senate returns from recess on Tuesday afternoon.