{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-colleagues-call-on-majority-leader-thune-to-immediately-bring-epstein-files-transparency-act-to-floor-for-vote", "King, Colleagues Call on Majority Leader Thune to Immediately Bring Epstein Files Transparency Act to Floor for Vote", "2025-11-18", "2025", "2025-11", "Independent", "Senate", "ME", "Angus S. King, Jr.", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", "angusking", "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/table", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today joined dozens of his Senate colleagues in a letter urging Republican leadership to immediately vote on legislation aimed at releasing the Epstein files. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), the Caucus calls on the Majority Leader to bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed the House of Representatives earlier today 427-1, to the Senate floor as soon as possible for a vote. The bill would require the Department of Justice to release all documents and records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, ensuring transparency with the American people and justice for the victims.\n\n\u201cAs you know, despite promises from then-candidate Donald Trump, the current Trump Administration DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), President Trump, and his subordinates have obfuscated, misdirected, and obstructed efforts in both the Senate and the House to secure release of the Epstein files. In 2024, President Trump stated on the campaign trail that he would \u201cdeclassify\u201d the Epstein files. Attorney General Bondi, once confirmed by the Senate, indicated that the Epstein client list was \u201csitting on my desk right now to review.\u201d However, President Trump and his Administration have not kept their promises,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\n\u201cNewly released emails raise serious questions about President Trump\u2019s knowledge of, and possible complicity in, Epstein\u2019s crimes. In 2011, Epstein emailed Maxwell, \u2018that dog that hasn\u2019t barked is trump.. [victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, [sic] he has never once been mentioned.\u2019 In 2019, Epstein again referenced President Trump, stating \u2018of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.\u2019 These revelations further demonstrate the urgent need for the Trump Administration to provide transparency and release the full Epstein files,\u201d the senators continued.\n\n\u201cNow that a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives has responsibly acted to provide transparency on this matter \u2013 we call on you to quickly hold a vote in the U.S. Senate to help deliver the accountability that was promised and that so many Americans are demanding,\u201d the senators concluded.\n\nJoining King on the letter are U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here or below.\n\n+++\n\nDear Majority Leader Thune:\n\nWe call on you to immediately bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 185) to a vote on the Senate floor. This bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on November 18th with bipartisan support, would require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to make documents and records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell publicly available and provide much-needed transparency to the American people.\n\nAs you know, despite promises from then-candidate Donald Trump, the current Trump Administration DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), President Trump, and his subordinates have obfuscated, misdirected, and obstructed efforts in both the Senate and the House to secure release of the Epstein files. In 2024, President Trump stated on the campaign trail that he would \u201cdeclassify\u201d the Epstein files. Attorney General Bondi, once confirmed by the Senate, indicated that the Epstein client list was \u201csitting on my desk right now to review.\u201d3 However, President Trump and his Administration have not kept their promises.\n\nAs Members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Leader Schumer made clear earlier this year in multiple letters to Attorney General Bondi, \u201c[a]fter missteps and failed promises by your Department regarding these [Epstein] files, it is essential that the Trump Administration provide full transparency.\u201d Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Durbin has disclosed that, according to FBI whistleblowers, FBI personnel were instructed to \u201cflag\u201d any Epstein records in which President Trump was mentioned. When Senator Durbin asked Attorney General Bondi about this during a Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Bondi stonewalled, saying, \u201cI\u2019m not going to discuss anything about that with you.\u201d Despite multiple Senate oversight requests and House subpoenas for release of the full and complete Epstein files, DOJ and the FBI have refused to produce any information to the Senate and have failed to provide the complete set of files to the House.\n\nHouse Republican leadership has tried to provide cover for the Trump Administration by not backing efforts to require the documents to be released. Speaker Johnson refused to swear in U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva for seven weeks to block her from signing the discharge petition that ultimately forced the House vote on the bill.\n\nNewly released emails raise serious questions about President Trump\u2019s knowledge of, and possible complicity in, Epstein\u2019s crimes. In 2011, Epstein emailed Maxwell, \u201cthat dog that hasn\u2019t barked is trump.. [victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, [sic] he has never once been mentioned.\u201d In 2019, Epstein again referenced President Trump, stating \u201cof course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop\u201d. These revelations further demonstrate the urgent need for the Trump Administration to provide transparency and release the full Epstein files.\n\nThe U.S. Senate has the chance to show strong leadership and swiftly pass this legislation. We urge you to promptly proceed to the consideration of H.R. 185 on the Senate floor pursuant to Senate Rule XIV, so that the legislation can be immediately placed on the Senate Calendar.\n\nThe victims of Jeffrey Epstein \u2013 and the American people \u2013 deserve answers, accountability and the truth. So far, they have only seen empty promises from President Trump and his Administration. Now that a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives has responsibly acted to provide transparency on this matter \u2013 we call on you to quickly hold a vote in the U.S. Senate to help deliver the accountability that was promised and that so many Americans are demanding.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-colleagues-call-on-majority-leader-thune-to-immediately-bring-epstein-files-transparency-act-to-floor-for-vote"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0795940179377794, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}