Senate Republicans killed a republican of Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s amendment to the annual National Defense Authorization Act late Wednesday, forcing the Justice Department to release its archives in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case.
“It’s a political stunt,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said before the vote.
The 51-49 vote fell primarily along the party, but two Republicans, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky, voted with all Democrats against the killing of the amendment.
While any senator can amend the bill to open debate, it is often the case that the Senate majority fills the “revision tree” to prevent this from happening. The amendment has not been filled in as Republicans work with Democrats to negotiate a series of defense bills to consider.
Mr. Schumer said he proposed an amendment because of “lying, confusing, covering up” in the Epstein case.
“If Republicans don’t vote, you’ll tell the American people that they shouldn’t see Epstein’s archives,” said the New York Democrat.
Asked why he did not ask for the release of Epstein’s archives during his presidency, Mr. Schumer pointed out that the demand for the American people is increasing, and President Trump and his Justice Department’s “obvious” lies about archives.
“The demand is greater than it is now,” he said.
Mr. Schumer specifically accused Mr. Trump of having previously denied the existence of a birthday card he allegedly sent to Epstein and drew a figure of a man with the figure of a woman, and mentioned the secrets kept between them.
The card was released earlier this week and received documents from the House Oversight and Government Reform Commission from Epstein Manor. Mr. Trump said he did not create the card and that the signature on his name was fraudulent.
Mr. Schumer’s Epstein Amendment reflects a bill in the House. The discharge petition will be awarded the 218th signature after the special election in Arizona on September 23 and the Democratic candidate will win as expected.
When asked Tuesday whether the House passed, he would introduce the bill, but he said he was “all for transparency, disclosure and anything that made this possible.”
“The Department of Justice has released a large number of archives,” Mr Thune said, referring to the release of more than 34,000 archives to the House Oversight Committee, and later the release of these partially edited documents.
He said he believes they “get as much information as possible” while also protecting victims.
