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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
Republicans block Schumer’s push to force Epstein files vote after | |
Democrat’s brazen breach of Senate protocol | |
By Ted Barrett, Morgan Rimmer, Arlette Saenz, CNN | |
Updated: | |
6:50 PM EDT, Wed September 10, 2025 | |
Source: CNN | |
Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked Chuck Schumer’s attempt to | |
compel the release of the , hours after the Democratic leader made a | |
bold procedural move to force a vote on the issue. | |
The Senate voted 51-49 to block the measure, with GOP Sens. Josh Hawley | |
and Rand Paul joining with Democrats in support of it. | |
Earlier in the day, Schumer put the contentious issue front-and-center | |
in the chamber, moving on the Senate floor in order to trigger the | |
vote. | |
Traditionally, only the majority party takes the procedural step of | |
“filing cloture” to set up a floor vote on a measure. In filing | |
cloture himself and tying it to the must-pass annual defense policy | |
package as an amendment, Schumer has guaranteed a full Senate vote. | |
A Republican source warned that this move will be seen as a hostile | |
act, which could jeopardize bipartisan negotiations on the defense | |
package. Another Republican source said that it is not viewed as a | |
serious attempt to release the Epstein files, as even GOP senators who | |
want to see the documents released object to how Schumer has handled | |
this. | |
“The bottom line is the American people need to see this,” Schumer | |
said. “The American people, Democrats, independents, Republicans are | |
demanding it be made public, and it should be. We hope Republicans will | |
vote for it. They should.” | |
Asked why he didn’t push for the release of the Epstein files when | |
Democrats were in control of the chamber, Schumer said, “It’s | |
become so apparent that they’re lying about it in every different | |
way, and the demands of the American people are so great, and you’ve | |
had all the different people come down and testify and this and that. | |
The need is greater than ever now.” | |
Schumer’s office says that the text is identical to GOP Rep. Thomas | |
Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna’s resolution in the House, and | |
if passed, it would require the Justice Department to release all of | |
the Epstein files within 30 days of passage. | |
This headline and story have been updated with additional developments. | |
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