In a dramatic twist on Capitol Hill, GOP Representative Thomas Massie is close to gathering the necessary 218 signatures required to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson and bring his bipartisan legislation for releasing Jeffrey Epstein-related documents to the House floor. This legislative maneuver, known as a discharge petition, is nearing its goal with significant cross-party support.

Newly elected Democratic Representative James Walkinshaw of Virginia, fresh from his special election victory, added his signature to the petition late Wednesday. In a statement to POLITICO, Walkinshaw expressed that the discharge petition is a critical tool to bypass what he views as undue influence exerted by Donald Trump over Republican lawmakers.

Massie, from Kentucky, along with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California, is just one signature shy of their target. They anticipate securing the final necessary support following the upcoming special election on September 23 in Arizona, expected to be won by a Democrat to replace the late Representative Raúl Grijalva.

The petition has already garnered the support of notable Republican figures such as Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who have withstood pressure from the White House and affirmed they will not retract their endorsements.

Amidst these developments, House Rules Chair Virginia Foxx announced that her committee would not interfere with the discharge petition's progression. This stance aligns with private acknowledgments from House GOP leaders, who concede that a floor vote appears inevitable should Massie successfully reach the 218-signature threshold.

However, Speaker Johnson has dismissed Massie's efforts as redundant, pointing to a recent symbolic action by Republicans directing the Oversight Committee to continue investigating the Epstein case. This stance has not deterred the petition's proponents nor quelled the controversy surrounding Trump’s dismissal of the Epstein saga as a fabricated plot by Democrats, which continues to cause unease among some Republican circles.

As the political battle lines are drawn, the potential release of Epstein-related documents hangs in the balance, setting the stage for a significant congressional showdown.