The Senate will be forced to vote on the full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday filed an amendment to a must-pass defense authorization bill.
Why it matters: Senate Republicans will have to go on the record on an issue that continues to haunt their party and President Trump.
- Schumer's amendment would force Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the files within 30 days of the passage of the defense authorization bill.
- Senate Democrats so far have only been able to use parliamentary tactics to force just one Republican to object to a request to release the records.
- Schumer's move will mandate a full Senate roll-call vote.
The big picture: Trump has tried to put the Epstein issue to bed, calling it a "hoax" last week. Democrats on Capitol Hill are doing everything they can to keep it alive.
- House Democrats this week received and released the doodle and note that they say Trump left in a birthday book compiled for Epstein in 2003.
- The White House and Trump's MAGA base denied Trump drew or signed the doodle, and Republicans blasted Democrats for "cherry-picking" documents to release.
Go deeper: Trump and Johnson likely doomed in effort to stop Epstein files vote
