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How many discharge petitions have passed in the U.S. House historically and in recent Congresses?
Executive summary
Discharge petitions are rare tools that require 218 signatures to force a House floor vote; historically, fewer than 4% of the 639 petitions introduced since 1935 have succeeded, and only a handful have reached the 218-signature threshold in recent decades (figures and historical context from Brookings and AEI) [1] [2]. In 2024–2025 the device has seen renewed attention: multiple petitions reached 218 signers on high-profile items (Social Security Fairness Act, a measure tied to federal employees, and in 2025 the Epstein-files petition reached 218 and moved to a floor vote) [3] [4] [5].
1. What a discharge petition is — and why it’s hard to use
A discharge petition lets rank-and-file members circumvent committee or leadership gatekeeping by collecting signatures of a majority (218 of 435) to force a floor vote, but rules require a measure to sit in committee for at least 30 legislative days (or a special-rule layover) and impose a seven‑legislative‑day delay once 218 signatures are reached, which makes successful use procedurally slow and politically costly (Congressional Research Service / Congress.gov, House Practice) [6] [7].
2. How often they succeed — the long arc of history
Scholars tallying petitions back to the 1930s show there have been 639 discharge petitions introduced since 1935 and that lawmakers have successfully discharged less than four percent of those — a stark indicator that success is rare even if petitions shape bargaining by threatening leaders (Brookings) [1]. AEI notes that in the 21st century only two petitions reached 218 signatures before recent upticks, underscoring how uncommon it is for petitions to clear the signature threshold historically [2].
3. Why success is uncommon — political incentives and secrecy changes
Success is limited because majority-party members risk embarrassment to their own leaders by signing; after 1995 the House required signer names to be public, which reduced covert coalition-building and made majority defections costlier. That political cost—plus leadership control of the floor calendar—means many petitions are used as public pressure tools rather than routings that finish in a discharge vote (RealClearPolicy, Roll Call, BPC Action) [8] [9] [10].
4. The 21st-century and recent exceptions
AEI highlights two petitions that made it to 218 signatures earlier in the 21st century (including campaign finance reform in the late 1990s), showing isolated instances of success can produce major policy changes [2]. More recently, several petition efforts have reached the 218 mark: the Social Security Fairness Act petition (H.R. 82) secured 218 signers in 2024, and other ambitious efforts (including a Protect America’s Workforce Act petition and the 2025 Epstein-files petition) also hit the majority threshold, demonstrating that narrow or fractured majorities and cross‑party alignments can change the math [3] [4] [5].
5. The 2025 Epstein-files example — a case study in mechanics and politics
The petition to compel release of Jeffrey Epstein–related files reached 218 signatures after Rep. Adelita Grijalva’s swearing-in provided the decisive signature, forcing the procedural steps that lead to a floor vote; supporters argued the House must allow consideration while opponents (including leadership and the White House) warned about drafting and legal issues and noted the Senate and White House remain separate hurdles (Roll Call, CNN, The Washington Post, The Hill) [11] [12] [5] [13]. That episode illustrates how timing (a delayed swearing-in, calendar control) and narrow bipartisan defections matter as much as raw procedure [11] [14].
6. What success on the House floor actually means — limits beyond the chamber
Even when a discharge petition forces and wins a House vote, passage there does not guarantee enactment: the Senate’s filibuster (or simple majority dynamics) and the president’s signature or veto power remain critical. Coverage of the Epstein and other recent petitions repeatedly stresses the uphill path after winning a House floor majority (The Hill, PBS, The Washington Post) [15] [16] [5].
7. Takeaway for readers — why count and context matter
Counting “how many” successful petitions exist depends on definitions: introduced petitions (639 since 1935), petitions that reached 218 signatures (very few in the 21st century until recent years), and petitions that completed the discharge-to-passage arc (under 4% of introduced petitions historically) are three different metrics and yield different impressions about how available the tool really is [1] [2]. Recent events show that narrow majorities, intra‑party fractures, and high‑profile issues can increase the odds that petitions will reach the threshold, but available sources underline that success remains the exception rather than the rule [17] [1].
Limitations: contemporary counts and categorizations vary by source and timeframe; available sources do not provide a single definitive list of every petition that reached 218 in every recent Congress, so readers should consult the Clerk’s discharge‑petition page or CRS/House Practice for up‑to‑date, itemized tallies [18] [7].