House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence Tuesday that the Senate will make changes to the bill requiring the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files to address protections for victims.
Johnson had previously resisted bringing the bill to the House floor, saying it did not adequately protect Epstein’s victims. The bill only reached a vote after a successful discharge petition forced it forward.
Speaking to reporters, Johnson said he discussed the concerns with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
“I called my counterpart in the Senate, Leader Thune, and I talked him through this with him and shared our deep concerns — and of course they share those concerns as well,” Johnson said.
He added:
“I’m very confident that when this moves forward in the Senate — which is not guaranteed — they will take the time to amend this discharge petition and make sure these protections are there.”
Not a “Reversal”
Johnson denied that his support for the bill represented a change in position.
“It’s not a reversal,” he said.
“We had big problems with the discharge from the moment it was filed. We talked with the authors. Many people pleaded with them to fix it so everyone could be together because we’ve been for maximum transparency.”
He emphasized the importance of following rules and process:
“There’s a reason you have rules here — to ensure this is not done haphazardly. I wasn’t satisfied at first, but I’ve supported maximum transparency from the beginning. We wanted the process to play out.”
