House Republicans, under pressure from Democrats and their own angry constituents, agreed on Thursday night to lay the groundwork for a potential vote calling on the Justice Department to release material from its investigation of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, breaking with President Trump’s demand that supporters accept his administration’s handling of the case and move on.
The measure, a nonbinding resolution, has not been scheduled for a vote. It is unclear whether Republicans will ever bring it up, or whether it could muster the support to pass in the face of a deep G.O.P. divide over the Trump administration’s handling of the case of Mr. Epstein, who died by suicide in federal custody while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
But Republicans on the powerful House Rules Committee voted to advance it after Democrats threatened to force additional votes on the Epstein disclosures, which could have put G.O.P. lawmakers in a tough spot with constituents who are clamoring for more information. The dispute was holding up final passage of legislation to claw back $9 billion in congressionally approved spending, pushing a vote to late Thursday evening.
Even as the panel approved the Epstein measure, Mr. Trump, who has faced days of backlash from loyal supporters over the Justice Department’s decision to close its investigation without releasing additional information, said that he would authorize Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of testimony from grand
