In a significant development, Speaker Mike Johnson declared he would not obstruct a floor vote on a bipartisan bill aimed at releasing all files concerning the notorious Jeffrey Epstein. The decision, announced in a Tuesday morning interview, comes as the House awaits its session resumption post-government shutdown.

Johnson emphasized the procedural stance, stating, "If it hits 218, it comes to the floor," referring to the number of signatures needed on a discharge petition. This procedure allows House members to bypass leadership blockades, moving legislation directly to a vote.

The petition, championed by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), is poised to meet the required signatures as soon as Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva is sworn in. Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona, recently won a special election. However, Johnson has delayed her official seating in a strategic move linked to Senate actions on government funding, sparking accusations of deliberate stalling by Democrats.

Despite previous tactics to delay such a vote, including early adjournments and shutting down key House committees, Johnson insists he will allow the vote if the petition garners enough support. "No, we're not — that's how it works: If you get the signatures, it goes to a vote," Johnson stated firmly in the interview.

This stance follows a quiet campaign by White House officials and senior Republicans, who have unsuccessfully tried to persuade three female Republican members to retract their support for the petition.

At a press conference earlier the same day, Johnson lauded the ongoing efforts of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Under the leadership of Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), the committee has already released thousands of pages of documents and pursued extensive subpoenas and investigations into Epstein's activities. The committee’s work, according to Johnson, renders the discharge petition "totally superfluous."

Johnson also took the opportunity to commend the bipartisan nature of the committee’s probe, which has safeguarded the identities of Epstein’s accusers while striving to disclose all credible information to the public. He highlighted personal meetings with victims, underscoring a commitment to justice and understanding the delays in the case.

Furthermore, Comer’s remarks at the press conference clarified that initial findings have not implicated former President Donald Trump in the Epstein scandal, despite previous associations. The committee is also arranging to depose former President Bill Clinton, with cooperative signals from Clinton's legal team.

The full cooperation of the Justice Department with the committee's demands, however, is pending the resolution of the ongoing government shutdown.

As this legislative drama unfolds, the push to unlock the Epstein files continues to stir bipartisan engagement and public intrigue, promising significant revelations and accountability in the high-profile case.