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onenote

(45,841 posts)
16. That used to be the rule, but I think it was changed in 2019
Wed Nov 12, 2025, 06:18 PM
9 hrs ago

It may have been changed back, but I haven't been able to find anything saying that it has.

As I understand it, this is the current procedure:

After the 218 signature threshold is reached, an additional seven legislative days must elapse before a Member who signed the petition may notify the House in a floor statement of an intention to offer the discharge motion on the floor. The motion may then be called up by that Member at a time or place, designated by the Speaker, in the legislative schedule within two legislative days after the day on which a Member whose signature appears thereon announces to the House an intention to offer the motion. The discharge motion is debatable for twenty minutes, equally divided between the proponents and an opponent and is not subject to a motion to table. If the motion to discharge a bill is adopted, it is in order to move that the House immediately consider the bill itself.

Thus, it will be at least a week before the discharge petition is brought up for a vote. One wild card is that a "legislative day" is not the same as a "calendar day" and I wouldn't put it past Johnson to muck around with the designation of a "legislative day" to delay a vote. In addition, my understanding is that the vote on the underlying bill is subject to ordinary parliamentary procedure, so a "motion to table" would be in order.

And, in the end, even if the bill passes, it has to go to the Senate and get 60 votes to be considered. And unless their is a seismic change in the repub caucus, that unlikely to happen. And in the event the bill does make it through the Senate, it can and almost certainly would be vetoed by Trump. Finding enough repubs that would vote to override that veto is yet another hurdle.

In the end, the likely benefit of the discharge procedure isn't going to be the release of the Epstein files. It's going to be forcing repubs in the House and, hopefully the Senate, to go on record opposing the release of the Epstein files.

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

So Boebert did not relent? SSJVegeta 10 hrs ago #1
Nor the loon Nancy Mace BumRushDaShow 10 hrs ago #7
And supposedly, now that REP Grijavla has provided the 218th signature.... COL Mustard 10 hrs ago #10
And I love writing COL Mustard 10 hrs ago #11
I'm feeling pretty damned confident about the midterms Torchlight 10 hrs ago #2
Kick +100000000 bronxiteforever 10 hrs ago #3
Just in time for the Xmas holiday season . . . Journeyman 10 hrs ago #4
Just hope it's not another "Fitzmas" debacle RazorbackExpat 1 hr ago #26
I'm starting to smile again. Borogove 10 hrs ago #5
Don't be surprised if some of the GQP moniss 10 hrs ago #6
That won't matter. Trump would veto the measure if it passes, and that veto won't be overturned. TheRickles 10 hrs ago #9
Yes indeed I agree with that but I was focusing strictly on the House moniss 9 hrs ago #13
Agreed - these are good points. Interesting times.... TheRickles 9 hrs ago #15
I think there are more GOPs who will vote for it.... reACTIONary 5 hrs ago #20
Awesome! FakeNoose 10 hrs ago #8
They get to delay this until the fourth Monday of the month, right? nt Gore1FL 10 hrs ago #12
That used to be the rule, but I think it was changed in 2019 onenote 9 hrs ago #16
Update: Johnson reportedly wants to accelerate the process onenote 5 hrs ago #22
Especially the financial records. Maybe we can get to the bottom of many things, like Deutsche Bank and Justice Kennedy' travelingthrulife 9 hrs ago #14
Trump must be calling Reps madly right now. Kablooie 7 hrs ago #17
Permanent marker working overtime. ForgoTheConsequence 7 hrs ago #18
Evidently, he and his were working the phones like crazy, trying to talk a few calimary 2 hrs ago #25
Recommended. H2O Man 7 hrs ago #19
Kicked and recommended Uncle Joe 5 hrs ago #21
I'm getting the feeling timms139 5 hrs ago #23
... SirReal69 3 hrs ago #24
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