House Speaker Johnson Sends Congress on Recess Early Over Epstein Votes

The House will start its August break early, canceling scheduled votes to avoid politically charged motions from Democrats over Jeffrey Epstein-related evidence. Speaker Mike Johnson called the effort political theater, asserting the DOJ is already addressing the matter.

Key Facts:

The House will begin its August recess on Wednesday, a day earlier than scheduled.
Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Democratic motions as political stunts.
Votes scheduled for Thursday were canceled by House Republican leadership.
The Department of Justice recently moved to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Deputy AG Todd Blanche is in talks with Maxwell’s lawyer about her cooperation with prosecutors.

The Rest of The Story:

The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, announced it will begin its August recess early.

Originally planned to extend through Thursday, the House will now adjourn Wednesday afternoon.

The move follows Democratic efforts to force a vote compelling the release of Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

“There’s no purpose for Congress to push an administration to do something that they’re already doing,” Johnson said, calling the Democrat-backed motions “political games.”

Meanwhile, the DOJ—facing criticism over delays—has taken action.

Attorney General Pam Bondi had DOJ lawyers ask federal judges to unseal grand jury records in the Epstein and Maxwell cases.

Deputy AG Todd Blanche is also exploring potential cooperation from Maxwell herself.

Speaker Mike Johnson: "We want maximum transparency. We must turn the Epstein records over to the public. We are owed that. And we want any individual who has been involved in the Epstein evils to be brought to justice as quickly as possible." pic.twitter.com/4Ko2llBZ0r

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) July 22, 2025

Commentary:

Let’s be clear: Democrats had four years under former President Biden to demand transparency in the Epstein saga.

The sudden urgency now reeks of political opportunism.

If Trump were implicated in those files, rest assured they would have already been leaked, weaponized, or charged in time to derail his campaign.

Congress has no business compelling the DOJ during an active investigation. That’s not its role, and doing so could set a dangerous precedent—especially if driven by partisan motives.

What’s maddening is not the resistance to political grandstanding but the decision to cut short the workweek.

Americans pay these representatives to govern—not duck out early to avoid awkward votes.

The House has critical work to do, from advancing border policy to protecting recent executive actions from being overturned with the next administration.

Speaker Johnson, who controls the legislative calendar, has the power to block political distractions.

But shutting down the chamber early? That’s not leadership. It’s a taxpayer-funded retreat.

Instead of running, the GOP should be cementing Trump’s America First agenda in law. Codify energy independence. Reinforce Second Amendment protections. Support parental rights in education.

That’s the job.

Leaving early looks like weakness. It tells voters that Congress can clock out whenever it gets uncomfortable.