Senate GOP narrowly defeats amendment directing Justice Department to release Epstein files [View all]

Senate Republicans on Wednesday narrowly voted to table an amendment directing the Department of Justice to release all the files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) ambushed them with a procedural maneuver that left Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) fuming.

But the 51-49 vote revealed the deep divisions that persist within the party over how to handle the Epstein files amid loud calls from MAGA voters for more transparency.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R), a rising conservative star from Missouri, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a prominent libertarian-leaning conservative, broke with GOP leaders and voted against tabling the Epstein amendment.

“This has been my consistent position,” Hawley told reporters after voting. “My position has long been I think we ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files. I think this is a similar deal.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/senate-gop-narrowly-defeats-amendment-221407451.html