House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday criticized the push to force a vote in the U.S. House on releasing more federal files pertaining to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as “reckless,” while the measure’s co-sponsors fired back against Republican Party leadership.
“House Republicans insist upon the release of all credible evidence and information related to Epstein in any way,” Johnson, R-La., said on NBC News.
“But we are also insisting upon the protection of innocent victims,” Johnson continued.
“And our concern is that the ... discharge petition is reckless in the way that it is drafted and presented, it does not adequately include those protections,” he added, referring to the measure introduced by Reps. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
Meanwhile, Massie and Khanna took to the airwaves on Sunday to defend their bill — and criticize the Republican leadership, whom they see as standing in the way of holding a vote on the measures.
