Schumer says he'll move to pass Epstein bill 'immediately' in Senate

Khanna, Massie, Greene push Senate to pass Epstein bill

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speak ahead of the upcoming House vote on a bill to compel the release of more Jeffrey Epstein files.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants the Senate to vote on the House’s bill to release a trove of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, and plans to force it "immediately." 

The House is set to vote on a resolution from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., that would force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all the documents in its possession related to the late financier and convicted pedophile. 

Their resolution is expected to pass, particularly with the newfound support of President Donald Trump, who has railed against their effort for months. 

MIKE JOHNSON REVEALS HOW HE'LL VOTE ON EPSTEIN FILES BILL LED BY TRUMP CRITIC THOMAS MASSIE

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

President Donald Trump is seen in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 13, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump over the weekend called on House Republicans, who have maintained a largely unified resistance against the effort, to vote in favor of Massie and Khanna's resolution. 

"House Republicans should 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 said. 

Throughout the government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., kept the House sidelined as Massie and Khanna's vehicle to get their resolution on the floor, known as a discharge petition, was set to hit the prerequisite 218 signatures needed to force a vote. 

HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR EPSTEIN FILES VOTE AS CONCERNS REMAIN DESPITE TRUMP'S GREEN LIGHT

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.