Fact check: What are the names of the senators who voted to block the Epstein files release on September 10?

Executive summary: The motion to block public release of Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein was carried by a 51–49 Senate vote on Sept. 10–11, 2025, with the Senate Republican conference supplying the votes to block the measure. Several Republican senators are explicitly named in reporting as having voted to set aside or vote against the amendment, while two Republicans — Josh Hawley and Rand Paul — joined Democrats in opposing the GOP motion (i.e., they did not vote to block release) ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

1. Who stepped forward with recorded votes — a partial roll-call that clarifies key players

Reporting identifies specific Republican senators who voted to block the amendment seeking release of Epstein-related files. Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith are named as having voted against the amendment requiring the Attorney General to release the records; their votes were part of the successful 51–49 tabling motion ^[2]. Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan are also reported to have joined the Senate Republican conference in voting to set aside the budget amendment, with Murkowski characterizing her vote as procedural ^[3]. These named votes represent documented examples of the GOP majority that carried the motion ^{[2] [3]}.

2. The decisive tally and the two Republican dissidents who changed the arithmetic

Multiple outlets place the final tally at 51–49 in favor of tabling changes that would have forced release of the files, and they note that the margin reflected near-unity among Senate Republicans. Two Republicans — Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) — are reported as having joined Democrats in opposing the GOP motion, meaning they did not vote to block the release; their break with the conference narrowed the margin but did not change the outcome ^[1]. This framing clarifies that the blocking vote was a conference-driven result rather than a unanimous GOP position ^[1].

3. Timeline and sourcing — where the reports come from and when they were published

The initial filing and immediate GOP pushback were reported on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11, 2025, with follow-on stories identifying specific senators on Sept. 11–13, 2025. UPI reported the Schumer motion and Senate GOP opposition on Sept. 10 ^[4], while subsequent coverage on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12–13 named both the overall 51–49 result and individual Republican senators who voted to block the amendment ^{[1] [2] [3]}. These publication dates matter because outlets updated names and context over the 48–72 hours after the vote as roll-call details and statements emerged ^{[4] [1] [2]}.

4. What the vote actually did — procedural tabling vs. substantive release

The action that passed was a procedural move to set aside or table an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill that would have compelled DOJ to release records. The 51–49 vote prevented that amendment from being added to the bill, which means the Senate did not force immediate public release via that legislative vehicle. Several senators framed their votes as procedural choices, with Murkowski explicitly saying her vote was based on process rather than substance ^[3]. That procedural nuance helps explain why some senators emphasized process while critics portrayed the outcome as a refusal to increase transparency ^{[3] [1]}.

5. Political context and competing narratives — transparency vs. procedure

Democrats framed the effort as a transparency measure to make Epstein-related records public; Republicans framed opposing the change as either a procedural protection or a rejection of a partisan maneuver. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, among other GOP leaders, called the Schumer motion a “political stunt” and signaled the conference would not support it, a messaging line repeated in immediate reporting ^[4]. The narratives diverge: Democrats emphasized disclosure and victims’ interests, while Republicans emphasized Senate procedure and potential overreach, a partisan split reflected in the near-party-line vote ^{[4] [1]}.

6. What is documented and what remains unlisted — limits of public reporting

Public reporting names several Republican senators who voted to block the release (Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Murkowski, Sullivan) and explicitly notes that most Senate Republicans formed the majority that carried the tabling motion. The available pieces do not, however, provide a single full roll-call list in these excerpts; outlets published selective names and statements while the overall 51–49 tally is consistent across reports. For a verbatim roll-call, the Senate’s official vote record for Sept. 10–11, 2025 is the definitive source; contemporary reporting supplies examples and context but not necessarily a complete name-by-name list in the cited items ^{[2] [3] [1]}.

7. Bottom line for readers seeking names and accountability

If you need a definitive, complete list of the senators who voted to block the release, consult the Senate’s official roll-call for the Sept. 10–11, 2025 vote; media reporting confirms the 51–49 outcome and documents named Republican senators who voted to block the amendment (e.g., Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Murkowski, Sullivan) while noting that Hawley and Paul joined Democrats in opposing the GOP motion ^{[2] [3] [1]}. The coverage shows a near-unified Republican conference carried the procedural move, with public statements framing the vote either as protecting Senate process or obstructing disclosure.