Home Speaker Mike Johnson is looking his do-nothing Republican convention again to Washington, D.C., as a vote to finish the longest authorities shutdown in historical past might happen any day.
And whereas the shutdown’s finish could frustrate Democratic voters who needed to see their get together extract extra concessions from the GOP, there’s a silver lining: The long-awaited vote to pressure President Donald Trump’s administration to launch the Epstein recordsdata is now on the horizon.
When the Home returns, Johnson will lastly swear in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who has been ready to take the oath of workplace since profitable her particular election on Sept. 23.
Seemingly, Johnson has declined to swear Grijalva in as a result of she would be the 218th signature on a petition to pressure a vote on a invoice that will require Trump’s Justice Division to launch its recordsdata on accused intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson doesn’t need the vote to occur as a result of it would pressure Republicans to both do what Trump desires and defend Epstein’s rumored purchasers, or vote to launch the recordsdata and elicit Expensive Chief’s wrath.
Trump doesn’t need the Epstein recordsdata launched as a result of his identify is reportedly littered all through the paperwork.
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson, proven in October.
Trump and Epstein had been shut pals for years. And Trump appears to have recognized about Epstein’s pedophilia, saying publicly that Epstein favored ladies “on the younger side” and even reportedly alluded to secrets and techniques the 2 males had collectively in a vile birthday observe, which has since been made public.
The vote will probably be a serious media story, with Republicans put in a lose-lose state of affairs that may generate unfavorable headlines—both as a result of they voted to guard an accused intercourse trafficker or as a result of Trump will probably go after GOP defectors.
Grijalva, for her half, stated on Monday that she was touring to Washington, D.C., in preparation of being sworn in.
“This delay never should have happened in the first place,” Grijalva—who has been publicly campaigning for Johnson to swear her in—stated in an announcement. “For seven weeks, 813,000 Arizonans have been denied a voice and access to basic constituent services. This is an abuse of power that no Speaker should have.”
As for the Epstein recordsdata vote, discharge petitions are difficult and have an arcane timeline. However based on Politico, the petition will pressure a vote “likely in early December.”
Nice job, Mike!
