Democrats are hoping to jam Republicans with Jeffrey Epstein-related amendments ahead of a Thursday Appropriations subpanel markup, according to two senior Democratic aides granted anonymity.
The Epstein issue had already scuttled the House floor schedule for the remainder of the week, leading Speaker Mike Johnson to send the House home early for their five-week summer recess. Democrats have attempted to force the issue in the Rules Committee and on the House floor, dividing Republicans who have faced a backlash from the MAGA base.
Now, according to the aides, Democrats will do the same at the subcommittee markup at 10 a.m. Thursday. The aides were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge plans.
House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole of Oklahoma said Wednesday morning that the panel will proceed with the subcommittee meeting as planned.
“There are no changes to our schedule,” he said, despite the House floor schedule being scrapped a day earlier. “I will, however, convey any changes to you as soon as possible. … Honestly, I want to see how things go today.”
Forging ahead with committee debate would put Republicans on record on controversial amendments, including on ordering the release of information about the Epstein case. Then if House Republican leaders want to pass the bill on the floor in the coming months, it would resurface the drama they are trying to hush.
Getting the House out of town early was intended, in part, to starve the Epstein narrative of oxygen on Capitol Hill, and Republicans may not want a fresh fight on the issue Thursday.
Cole had articulated for months his goal to get all 12 House spending bills on the floor ahead of the August recess. But he acknowledged this week that delays by the massive GOP tax and domestic policy bill put that goal out of reach. Canceling a full committee markup would put his committee further behind that goal.
Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.
