• Rep. Adelita Grijalva adds her signature, enabling a House vote on Epstein files.
• The discharge petition reached the required 218 signatures, bypassing House GOP leadership.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed the vote is scheduled for next week.
• Newly released documents link Donald Trump to Epstein's alleged activities.
• The bill faces significant obstacles, including a likely Senate veto.

After a lengthy delay, Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) has added her name, providing the 218th signature necessary to trigger a House vote on the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This move follows a seven-week wait during which House Speaker Mike Johnson kept the House out of session, effectively stalling the process during the recent government shutdown. Grijalva emphasized the importance of Congress stepping up as a check against the administration, stating, "Justice cannot wait another day," just before signing the discharge petition, according to CBS News and HuffPost.

The discharge petition allows members of the House to circumvent leadership opposition, and it was spearheaded by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Their proposed legislation demands that the Department of Justice release a searchable database of all files related to Epstein's investigations. House Speaker Johnson confirmed that the vote on this bill will occur next week, marking a significant legislative moment, according to India Times and HuffPost.

Discharge Petition No. 9 has garnered support from all House Democrats along with several Republican signatories, including Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Lauren Boebert (Colo.). The White House reportedly attempted to persuade these Republicans to withdraw their signatures, but those efforts proved unsuccessful. Critics within the Republican Party, like Massie, claimed party leaders are in "full panic" over this bipartisan initiative, as it threatens to expose further details about Trump’s past association with Epstein. This continuing scrutiny is reminiscent of ongoing tensions regarding Trump’s political standing among GOP members, as highlighted by CBS News and India Times.

Recent revelations from Committee investigations have further linked Trump to Epstein, with released documents showing emails where Epstein implicated Trump in conversations regarding women. In one email, Epstein stated, "I know how dirty Donald is," referencing former interactions and underscoring the complexities of their relationship. Trump's response has been to label these inquiries a "Democrat hoax," asserting that Democrats are using the Epstein saga to distract from pressing issues like the government shutdown, according to CBS News, HuffPost, and India Times.