In a 211–210 procedural vote on July 15, 2025, Rep. Chuck Edwards cast one of the deciding votes that blocked consideration of an amendment requiring the Justice Department to collect and publicly release all Epstein-related records. His vote helped preserve a closed rule that kept the amendment off the House floor.
- Rep. Ro Khanna filed an amendment to the GENIUS Act (S. 1582) that would have required the Attorney General to “retain, preserve, and compile” all Epstein-related records and to “release and publish” them on a publicly accessible website within 30 days. (s3.documentcloud.org)
- During floor debate on July 15, 2025, House Democrats stated that if the majority’s procedural motion on the rule were defeated, they would amend it to make Khanna’s Epstein-release amendment in order for a vote. (congress.gov)
- The House handled the crypto/GENIUS Act under a closed rule (H.Res. 580), meaning no amendments—including Khanna’s release text—could be offered unless the rule was first reopened. (rules.house.gov)
- The House Rules Committee had rejected Democratic efforts to include Khanna’s release language in the rule the night before. (axios.com)
- Under House procedure, if the motion to order the previous question on a rule fails, the minority gains control and can offer an amendment to that rule; if it passes, no such amendment is possible. (congress.gov)
¶ The pivotal floor motion to prevent any change that would allow the release mandate passed by one vote
- On July 15, 2025, the House ordered the previous question on H.Res. 580 by 211–210, a one-vote margin that locked in the closed rule and prevented the Epstein-release amendment from being considered. (congress.gov)
- The official roll call for Roll No. 194 lists Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) as voting Yea. Because the motion passed by a single vote, every Yea—including Edwards’—was necessary for it to pass and thus to prevent the House from considering Khanna’s amendment to release the Epstein files. (congress.gov)