The success of the forced Epstein files vote is emboldening some Republicans to go it alone

[Uncle Joe]

House Speaker Mike Johnson may want to put the Jeffrey Epstein saga behind him, but some Republicans saw rank-and-file members’ success in forcing Tuesday’s vote as an opportunity to push their own legislative priorities to the floor — even if it doesn’t have leadership’s blessing.

GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has put House Republican leaders on notice that unless they change their approach to a bipartisan bill banning lawmaker stock trading, she will circumvent them using a discharge petition and force a vote herself.

In a recent interview in her office, the Florida Republican told CNN the overwhelming support from lawmakers to release the Jeffrey Epstein files should encourage more members to take advantage of the leadership-bucking tool that made the vote possible.

“I think more members need to use it,” Luna said. “More members need to get outside of this mentality that you have to go and ask for permission from leadership to bring legislation. That’s not why you’re here. And that defeats the purpose of why you call yourself a representative. If you want to be a follower, call yourself a follower of Congress, but not a representative of Congress if you’re not doing your job.”

(snip)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/21/politics/discharge-petitions-congress-house