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wThere are only six legislative days left on the House calendar for the rest of the year, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said Friday. Decided to drop a bunch of new photos The committee received funds from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
photos Especially featuring the late convicted sex offender with such famous faces As Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton and Donald TrumpIn particular, one photo shows Trump, several years before he became president, surrounded by six women, Trump has distanced himself from Epstein and has not been accused of any wrongdoing,
The selective release of the photos comes a week before the Justice Department’s legally mandated deadline to release all Epstein-related files. For those who don’t remember, last month Congress passed legislation forcing the department to release files within 30 days. Drop-dead date is next Friday.
Immediately after the vote on Friday, House members prepared for the weekend — and then oversight Democrats released their oddly timed installment of photos.
It came at a strange turn. For now, Republicans are trying to find an alternative plan because the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits for the health insurance marketplace will expire at the end of the month. Senate Republican proposal to give Americans money for health savings accounts rejected and a Democratic effort to extend Obamacare tax credits for three more years.
To boot, a A handful of Republicans from swing districts filed discharge petitions. – the same legislative tool that was used to force a vote to release the Epstein files – to extend the credit for two more years.
As members spoke, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held his weekly press conference, where he focused on health care. When? Independent Asked Jeffries about the images, he offered some boilerplate talking points.
“The so-called Justice Department under the Trump administration needs to follow the law,” he said. “And we as Democrats, led by Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, will continue to make sure that we hold this administration accountable.”
Garcia won the race to become the top Democrat on oversight after the death of Gerry Connolly earlier this year, defeating Representative Jasmine Crockett, who is now running for Senate in Texas. The former mayor of Long Beach has taken an aggressive approach to his place as the Democrats’ top attack dog on the committee.
“We will continue to release more photos in the coming days and weeks, but I just caution people that the redaction process and making sure that we are protecting the survivors and the women who were abused by Epstein are safe,” he told reporters on the Capitol steps.
In addition to releasing Epstein-related files to the Justice Department, the committee is also conducting its own investigation. And for a committee known for heated exchanges and partisan bickering, the investigation has remained surprisingly bipartisan. Congress is not only allowed, but expected, to conduct its own investigations to ensure that the executive branch does not simply police itself.
But the message appears to be a distraction from Democrats’ larger efforts to hang the impending doubling and tripling of health care premiums around the necks of Republicans. Despite Democrats not getting an extension of credit during the shutdown, He successfully implemented the health care issue before the 2026 midterms,
Furthermore, the release of some of Epstein’s photographs – including those of sex toys – risks re-traumatizing survivors of his horrific acts.
Instead of focusing on grooming efforts or a pyramid scheme to maintain a steady pipeline of teenage girls coming to Epstein, the photos could potentially turn the investigation into another round of salacious headlines rather than justice for the adult women who fought so hard for this vote.
Democrats will argue that they can run and chew gum at the same time.
And, in his defense, Trump has dragged his feet on Epstein, from calling it a hoax to threatening Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from her seat in Congress and saying the vote must be unanimous. House Speaker Mike Johnson delayed the vote for a long time Swearing in of Adelita Grijalva Since she will provide the final signature to release the files.
But doing it on Friday when everyone else is leaving means Republicans can now unite to defend Trump instead of defying themselves on health care.