It was a somber scene as more than a dozen women gathered outside the Capitol on Tuesday to share their stories of abuse ahead of a long-awaited vote. Holding up photos of themselves at the ages they first met Jeffrey Epstein, survivors spoke one by one and called on the Trump administration to commit to releasing documents held by the Department of Justice. “I know everybody sees us today as grown adults, but we are fighting for the children that were abandoned and left behind in the reckoning,” Haley Robson said. The press conference was hosted by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.; and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., as the House prepared to vote on Khanna’s transparency bill later in the day. Massie filed a discharge petition on the bill in September to circumvent House leadership and bring it to the floor, notching enough signatures after Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., was sworn in on Nov. 12. While President Donald Trump had initially called the controversy a “hoax,” he changed course and announced his support for the measure on Sunday. Survivors said they hoped to cut through the noise and stressed that for them, the push was not about party politics, regardless of their own backgrounds. “I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment. It is time to take the honest, moral ground and support the release of the files, not to weaponize pieces of the files against random political enemies that did nothing wrong, but to understand who Epstein’s friends were, who covered for him, what financial institutions allowed his trafficking to continue, who knew what he was doing but was too much of a coward to do anything about it,” Jena-Lisa Jones said. The bill will come to the floor under suspension of the rules, which requires a 2/3 majority in the House and bipartisan support. “Because survivors spoke up, because of their courage, the truth is finally going to come out. And when it comes out, this country is really going to have a moral reckoning. How did we allow this to happen?” Khanna said. Outside of the press conference, a sea of onlookers watched, and some held up signs in support of the release of the files. At one point, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden revved his motorcycle while Massie spoke. Sky Roberts, the brother of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, stood at the podium while holding a picture of his sister, who died by suicide in April. As he spoke, survivors behind him held each other and wiped away tears. “My sister is not a political tool for you to use. These survivors are not political tools for you to use. These are real stories, real trauma and it’s time for you to stop just talking about it and act. Vote yes,” he said. Sky Roberts, brother of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, speaks at Tuesday’s news conference. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) The bill would require the Justice Department to publicly release unclassified documents related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. While the department would be barred from keeping back any files over potential embarrassment, political sensitivity or reputational harm, the measure does allow redaction of victims’ names and withholding of material related to ongoing investigations. Lawmakers and survivors called for swift action and urged the Senate not to add anything to the bill that would complicate the release of the files. “If you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate,” Massie said. Greene, who was among the four Republicans who signed Massie’s discharge petition, has been targeted by Trump for being a vocal supporter of the effort. “He called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition,” Greene said. “Let me tell you what a traitor is. A traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans like the women standing behind me.” Those gathered at the conference celebrated the forward movement but lamented the divisive path the legislation has traveled over the last several months. “This issue was never one that should have divided us the way it has. In fact, it should have united us. Sexual abuse is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is also not a hoax. We are here as American survivors of a man who used his wealth and power to hurt young girls and women. The world should see the files to know who Jeffrey Epstein was and how the system catered to him and failed us,” Jones said.
