A vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II has finally been forced to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) announced today on Nov. 11: “This morning we reached the required 218 signatures on my discharge petition for Epstein Files Transparency Act II.” It takes a majority of the legislators to get around the House leadership’s refusal to consider the legislation. Outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had led the fight against the legislation.

Massie said, as reported by The Hill, that he was working closely with Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), and Ro Khanna (D-CA) to “get this to the floor for a vote soon.” A co-sponsor of the original Epstein files legislation which had forced the Department of Justice to release millions of Epstein files, Khanna had described the new “Epstein 2.0 Act” as allowing state attorneys general to prosecute the “pedophiles who abused and trafficked young girls.”

Earlier this week, Massie described the new act as designed to help survivors get “their own records” and enable state attorneys general to prosecute crimes related to the Epstein files. He added that the new legislation would also allow the Justice Department (DOJ) to be taken “to court for keeping critical files hidden.”

Three Republican lawmakers joined Massie on the discharge petition: Nancy Mace (SC), Ralph Norman (SC), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA).