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Which Democrats voted against the Epstein files release bill?
Executive Summary
A review of the available reporting shows no Democratic members were recorded as voting against the bill to release Jeffrey Epstein–related files; Democratic members who voted participated in favor of release. Committee-level actions on subpoenas and motions were largely blocked by Republicans, and reporting identifies specific Democrats who supported release, while listing the Republicans who opposed it [1] [2]. Multiple outlets describing the episode emphasize a partisan split: Democrats pushing for documents and Republicans using procedural votes to block disclosure; contemporary coverage dated July through September 2025 documents these dynamics and the named lawmakers involved [1] [3] [4].
1. What the records claim and the central disputed fact that matters
Contemporary reporting converges on a single, central factual claim: no Democrats are documented as voting against the Epstein files release motion in the sources reviewed. Newsweek’s roll call explicitly lists Republicans who blocked the motion and names Democrats who voted to release the files, including the bill sponsor and supporting Democrats, and it does not identify any Democratic “no” votes [1]. Committee press statements and Democratic communications characterize committee Republicans as the actors who prevented release, framing the procedural outcome as a partisan block rather than cross-party dissent [2] [3]. Where multiple outlets recount the episode, the narrative is consistent: Democrats sought disclosure, Republicans used procedural mechanisms to stop it, and the roll-call reporting identifies Republican opposition by name [1] [2].
2. Who the Democrats were that voted for release — and who is absent from “voted against” lists
Reporting names Democrats recorded as voting to release Epstein-related materials: Representative Ro Khanna is identified as the sponsor, and Democrats who supported the motion include Jim McGovern, Mary Gay Scanlon, Joe Neguse, and Teresa Leger Fernandez, among others listed in coverage [1]. The absence of any Democratic names from lists of those who opposed the motion is notable: Newsweek’s piece enumerates Republicans who blocked the vote but does not include any Democratic defections [1]. Committee Democrats’ public statements and the Oversight Committee’s subsequent document releases further indicate Democratic continuity in favor of disclosure, reinforcing the view that the bipartisan break occurred on the Republican side, not through Democratic opposition [4] [2].
3. How Republicans’ procedural moves shaped the outcome and why that matters
Multiple sources describe the decisive role of Republican committee members in blocking subpoenas and motions intended to force release of Epstein-related financial documents, framing the outcome as a procedural defeat engineered by committee Republicans [2] [3]. Newsweek’s reporting of the full list of Republicans who blocked the vote demonstrates that the critical votes against release came from the GOP, and subsequent Democratic accusations portray the block as an obstruction of transparency [1]. Coverage from July to September 2025 tracks both the procedural timeline and Democrats’ follow-up tactics, including public document releases by Oversight Democrats, underscoring that the fight shifted from obtaining committee votes to pursuing disclosure through other avenues [4] [3].
4. Source reliability, dates, and competing framings journalists used
The most specific roll-call detail appears in a Newsweek piece dated July 15, 2025, which lists the Republicans who blocked the vote while naming Democrats who supported it and omitting any Democratic “no” votes [1]. Committee statements and Democratic communications from late July and September 2025 reinforce this chronology, noting Republican blocks on subpoenas and subsequent Democrat-led document releases [2] [3] [4]. Outlets vary in emphasis: some present the episode as a partisan contest over transparency, others focus on the operational details of subpoenas and committee jurisdiction. Across these accounts, the factual kernel remains consistent: Democrats are recorded as proponents of release, and Republicans are recorded as the bloc blocking it [1] [2].
5. What remains unanswered and where to look next for verification
Public reporting establishes who blocked the committee motion and which Democrats voted to support release, but it does not produce any record of Democrats voting against the release motion in the cited sources; therefore the direct answer to the question—“Which Democrats voted against the Epstein files release bill?”—is none identified in the reviewed coverage [1] [2]. For final, primary-source verification, consult the official committee roll-call record and the House Clerk’s vote logs for the specific motion and date referenced in the Newsweek and committee reports; those records would confirm the vote tally and names. Meanwhile, note that partisan messaging from committee offices may emphasize different aspects of the proceedings, so cross-referencing the clerk’s official vote record with contemporaneous reporting remains the clearest path to definitive confirmation [1] [3].