Republicans Block Schumer’s Effort to Force Vote on Epstein Files

Senate Republicans narrowly blocked an unexpected effort on Wednesday by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files and put Republican senators on record on an issue that has divided their party.

All but two Republican senators — Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky — blocked consideration of Mr. Schumer’s measure, which would have required the Justice Department to fully and quickly release its material related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in federal prison in 2019.

Though it failed, Mr. Schumer’s proposal brought the contentious debate over the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, which has roiled the House, to the chamber that has largely avoided it.

Republicans in both bodies have sought to avoid a politically precarious vote on the Epstein files. President Trump has dismissed concerns over the Epstein files as a “Democratic hoax” and urged his right-wing supporters to move on, but his administration’s handling of the issue has inflamed many in the right-wing base.

Though lawmakers hoped the issue would die down over their August recess, it was revived this week when a key House committee released a note and sexually suggestive drawing addressed to Mr. Epstein that contained what appeared to be Mr. Trump’s signature.

Mr. Schumer proposed his Epstein measure as an amendment to an annual defense policy bill and then, using a maneuver available to him as the minority leader, teed up a procedural vote.

“If Republicans vote no, you’ll be saying to the American people that they should not see the Epstein files,” Mr. Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “I ask my Republican colleagues: After all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, why won’t you vote yes?”

Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader, told reporters that Mr. Schumer’s measure was a “stunt” and promised to dispense with it. The Senate voted 51 to 49 to table it.

Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said she opposed Mr. Schumer’s measure because a similar amendment had been adopted on a spending bill that would fund the Justice Department. That bill has not yet been passed by the Senate, but Ms. Collins said it was a more appropriate vehicle for a measure on the Epstein files.

“It does not belong on the Department of Defense policy bill,” she said.

Mr. Schumer was not the first Democrat to try to force the Epstein issue through the Senate. But other efforts, including two from Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona and one from Jeff Merkley of Oregon, used different procedures that allowed them to be defeated without Republicans recording votes.

Mr. Schumer’s proposal was similar to a bipartisan resolution introduced in the House by Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ro Khanna of California. The pair appear within weeks of being able to force a vote on their measure on the House floor, a move that would require the signatures of 218 House members on what is known as a discharge petition.

Their effort got a boost on Wednesday night, when Representative James Walkinshaw, Democrat of Virginia, was sworn in after winning a special election. Mr. Walkinshaw has vowed to sign the petition, which would bring the number of signatories to 217.

Megan Mineiro contributed reporting.