Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is seen after a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on the government shutdown on Nov. 5, 2025. (Tom Williams/Getty Images)
Whether Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will take up the legislation for a vote immediately remains in the air.
But Schumer, whose party has used the Epstein issue as a political cudgel against the GOP and Trump for the last several months, wants action immediately, regardless of Thune’s plan.
"Once the House passes the bill to release the Epstein files today, I will move for the Senate to immediately take it up and pass it — period," Schumer said in a statement.
"Republicans have spent months trying to protect Donald Trump and hide what’s in the files," he continued. "Americans are tired of waiting and are demanding to see the truth. If Leader Thune tries to bury the bill, I’ll stop him."
DEMOCRAT FOUND TEXTING JEFFREY EPSTEIN FACES HOUSE CENSURE, COMMITTEE REMOVAL THREATS
Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks during a press conference with Senate Republican leadership following a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 28, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Schumer and congressional Democrats argued that Johnson did so to prevent the bill from hitting the floor.
Now, with Trump's backing, the resolution is expected to sail through the House on Tuesday afternoon. And Johnson, who has fervently opposed the legislation, now supports it.
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"I think it could be close to a unanimous vote, because everybody here, all the Republicans, want to go on record to show they're for maximum transparency," Johnson said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
However, Johnson hoped that if the resolution is taken up in the Senate that it will be amended. There's still no guarantee that the legislation will be considered on the Senate floor, and Schumer's attempt to force a vote could be blocked by Senate Republicans.
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumer-says-hell-move-pass-epstein-bill-immediately-senate