Dem
47
GOP
53
The discharge petition written by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to force the House to vote on a resolution to ask the DoJ to release all the Epstein files is currently two votes short of the number needed for it to pass. All Democrats are for it and also four Republicans: Massie and three crazy women: Lauren Boebert (CO), Marjorie Taylor Green (GA), and Nancy Mace (SC). Possibly two more Republicans will sign, but their votes aren't actually needed.
Tomorrow there will be a special election in Virginia to replace the late Gerry Connolly. The Democratic candidate, James Walkinshaw, is the overwhelming favorite in the D+18 district and he said he will sign as soon as he is sworn in. On Sept. 23, there is a special election in the D+13 Arizona district of the late Raúl Grijalva. Grijalva's daughter, Adelita Grijalva, is the heavy favorite and she has also said she will sign it. Once both of them are sworn in, the petition will have enough signatures and the House will have to vote on it.
It doesn't actually matter whether the House passes the resolution or not since the DoJ will just ignore it. The problem is political. Donald Trump's base wants to see the Epstein files—badly. This vote will probably have every Democrat voting to release them and all but four Republicans voting to not release them. The PR here for the Republicans is terrible. Assuming this whole story is raging next year, there will be Democrats campaigning on: "Congressman Smith voted to keep the Epstein files secret. If I am elected, I will vote to publish them all." For some true believers, that might just be enough to flip their votes. Certainly having the Democrats being the party of transparency and the Republicans being the party of secrecy doesn't work for the Republicans here. (V)