Republican populists plan to bypass Mike Johnson on Epstein files, stock trading

https://www.axios.com/2025/08/14/mike-johnson-jeffrey-epstein-stock-trading

25 comments

  1. From the article:

    House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) right flank is trying to bypass him repeatedly next month by forcing votes on releasing the Epstein files and banning congressional stock trading.

    The tool these lawmakers are planning to use — the discharge petition — has been the source of growing controversy in the House in recent years.

    A discharge petition allows the House rank-and-file to force a vote on any piece of legislation if at least 218 members — a majority of the chamber — sign on.
    Top Republicans have discouraged the use of the maneuver, arguing it would effectively turn over control of the House floor to Democrats, but GOP populists have increasingly ignored that guidance

  2. I guess some of the GOP want to avoid getting caught in the epstein crossfire

    Not a profile in courage.

  4. They will have to get it done in the next two or three weeks. This weekend, Trump will be re-pledging his absolute, fawning obedience to Putin and showering him with the kinds of gifts only American taxpayers can fund. After that tribute ceremony, Putin’s propaganda factories are going to remove Trumpstein rage from the daily MAGA programming. And just like that, they won’t care **at all** about the fact Trump raped children with Epstein. It will become just another forbidden subject they obediently mentally censor.

  5. If this actually happens when they get back in session it’ll restore some of my optimism about the country’s future.

  6. If they do let’s talk otherwise it’s only standard Republican Virtue Signaling.

  8. If they blow the lid off the Epstein cover-up, it will mean the end of Trump. It may mean the GOP is going to lose big in 2026, and these guys know it, and this is their attempt to shield themselves.

    Or these guys are all angling for something.

  10. They’re probably just pushing things that have no chance of passing so that they have talking points in 2026.

  11. Republicans are scum. We are in this mess due to their idiocy and power grabbing.

  12. Mike Johnson needs to go too. He’s just as bad as Bondi and Hegseth.

  14. I’ll believe it when I see it.

    They’re posturing on this to get some concession on something else.

  17. They’ll bow down as usual. If not in the House, the Grand Old Pedos in the Senate will torpedo it for Trump.

  18. Nah … they’re just looking for kitchen table scraps from Trump.

  19. They’re going to vote to force a vote on a bill that Trump will veto? Seems like a waste of time.

  20. I doubt it, but Trump’s popularity is at a low right now. It wouldn’t totally surprise me if some of these people are tired of groveling before Trump every single day and would like to get out from under his thumb.

  21. Mike Johnson should just change his name to Peter File.

  22. Weird how the man likes to monitor children but only when it’s relating to their porn consumption and not their being trafficked

  25. This is just to get this latest scandal under control and control the narrative. Forcing a vote and does not mean the public gets to see the files.

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