Massie Floor Speech on the Epstein Files Vote

Nov 18, 2025 · 18:39 epstein floor-speech transparency

Massie controls 17 minutes on the House floor the day of the Epstein Files Transparency Act vote, and yields to Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace.

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Gentlemen from Kentucky is recognized. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have? You have 17 minutes remaining.
I yield myself 2 minutes. Gentlemen is recognized for 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, today is an extraordinary day in this chamber.
If my colleagues will vote for this measure, we'll see justice triumph over politics. Truth will triumph over deception and obfuscation. Transparency
will triumph over dark money. Partisanship will fall away to bipartisanship. Grassroots,
the people, will reclaim the people's house with this vote. It's going to be a victory for survivors, not just survivors of the
Epstein sex trafficking scandal, the thousand survivors that exist. Some of them are victims. They're no longer
alive. Some have committed suicide. They share one thing in common. Their youth was robbed from them. Much of their lives were robbed from them.
But they're claiming it back. We're going to help them claim that back. But it's not just a victory today if this vote prevails for those survivors.
It's a victory for every person, man or woman, boy or girl, who's been victimized sexually in this country. Anybody who's
been a victim of sexual assault. Or maybe they've been victimized by a family member. Maybe it's not a billionaire. But they're all waiting and watching to see what we do today.
They're wondering, if I go to mom or dad, will anything happen? If I go to the sheriff, will anything happen? Well, we have a chance today to make
something happen. Something that's not happened. Something that should have happened decades ago. And that is to get justice for these victims
and survivors and transparency for America. That's what this vote is about today. And I reserve the balance of my time.
Gentlemen from Kentucky reserves. The general lady from North Carolina is recognized. I reserve. General lady reserves. Gentlemen from Kentucky is recognized.
I I now yield uh 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia, Mrs. Green. General lady from Georgia is recognized for 5 minutes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I proudly rise today in a bipartisan effort to release the Epstein files
finally after five administrations have covered it up. Earlier today, I attended the press conference where
the survivors, they're not victims, the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse and sex trafficking
told their stories. And they told stories about how it started back in 1991, 1996,
and they continued on through the decades. And they told stories about how they told someone and tried to get help. They told the FBI and they weren't
listened to. And they told law enforcement and no one did anything. And these women don't just number a a few. These women number around 1,000
women. And they are victims of something that's unthinkable. And this should have never ever happened.
This was the biggest fight I think I've seen in Washington, D.C. This is my fifth year here. And this was a fight that we should have never had to wage. It should have been
the easiest thing for every single member of Congress. It should have been the easiest thing for the Speaker of the House. It should have been the easiest
thing for the President of the United States to release all the information, every single file on behalf of these
American women. These American women aren't rich, powerful elites. They do not have someone paying for their airline tickets or paying for
their trips or paying for their expenses every time they try to do something to get this get this information out. These are your average Americans.
And you want to know what the Epstein file files represent, the cover-up represents to average Americans? It represents the
failures of the federal government and Congress to the American people. And that is that is what people rose up about in 2024.
They wanted and demanded transparency from their government and for Americans finally to be put first. And today, with
this vote, we are finally putting these victims and these survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and the cabal of rich, powerful
elites that expands not just here in the United States of America, but to other countries as well, we're putting them last. And that is exactly what Americans
want. You see, for far too long, far too long, Americans have been put last. And they're sick of it. They're sick and
tired of it. And this is why they don't trust Congress. This is why they don't trust the government. And here's the problem. All of these
women, women who have suffered in shame for years and years and years. Women who were
terrified. Women who were intimidated. Women who were threatened. Just like Virginia Giuffre.
And now she's dead. And these women should have never faced that for this information to come out. And we, especially the four Republican
members of the House of United House of Representatives, we should have never faced intimidation and threats for us to
get this vote to come to the floor. Never forget there were four. Thomas Massie, myself, Nancy Mace, and Lauren
Boebert. We had to sign a discharge petition. And we had to fight through intimidation. And we had to endure it for months to
push that discharge petition finally to 218 to get this vote to come out. This is what of the American people are
sick of. And rightfully so. Now, where does this go from here? The question will remain, will the
Department of Justice release all the information? Will the judge in New York release the information? Will the CIA release the
information? And will foreign governments release their information? Or will this continue after this vote today be a cover-up?
A cover-up of the rich, powerful elites that bond together in sex and human trafficking abuse and all types of global business that
enriches them, but never serves Americans. The American people will know. And the victims, actually the survivors of
Jeffrey Epstein, will know because they know the list of names. And I remain dedicated to my promise to read that names those names here on the House
floor if those women ever find them in a place that it needs to be done. I yield back to Mr. General lady from Georgia yields back. Gentlemen from Kentucky
reserves. General lady from North Carolina is recognized. I I reserve, Mr. General lady reserves. Gentlemen from Kentucky is recognized. I yield myself a
minute and 30 seconds. Gentlemen is recognized for a minute. I want to thank the generosity of Jim McGovern, Representative McGovern, for granting us
this time. I'm embarrassed for my own party today. I'm embarrassed we withhold withheld signing in, swearing in a duly
representative of uh the people for 49 days just to avoid this vote that's finally going to happen today.
I'm embarrassed that my own party isn't going to yield me time to debate this, even though they say they support it and I authored it. They don't even want to
yield me time to debate this during the bill debate. But I'm thankful. Let me tell you who I'm thankful to. These three brave women, Marjorie Taylor
Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert. They have been threatened. They have been intimidated physically, politically. It's
disgusting. And not by the far left. They have been intimidated by people in
our own party. And for what? For seeking justice for these victims. So, I have my hats off. I congratulate
them for standing strong. I've always wondered, where were the Republican men during this battle? We've taken 5 months. These three women and I have had
to drag our party to this floor today to even vote on this. And Ro Khanna is the most to be thanked here.
In an extraordinary display of bipartisanship, he did not hesitate when I asked if we wanted to bring this bill to the floor together, if he would stand in the
trenches with me. He said, "Yes." With that, I reserve. Gentlemen reserves. General [snorts] lady from Kentucky is recognized. I'd like to now recognize the general
lady from South Carolina for 5 minutes, Nancy Mace. General lady from South Carolina is recognized for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank my
colleagues today for the time uh Mr. McGovern and Mr. Khanna for the 5 minutes on the floor to speak about an
issue that is not political for me. Helping the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and his horrific, gruesome,
brutal sex trafficking ring is deeply personal. And while we often have many disagreements about a lot of issues,
maybe most issues, today they are allowing us to speak on the floor and I want to thank my colleagues, Congressman Massie,
Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert, the four of us making history today over the discharge petition and delivering
justice for those who have desperately fought for it, for in some cases almost 30 years. I wore white today
because I wanted to reflect on the innocence of the young women who had their innocence stolen from a demon named
Jeffrey Epstein, from demons, friends of his, rich and powerful people who stole their innocent
innocence as young as 14 years old. It was taken from them and they've never gotten it back.
I'm also wearing white today to recognize the courage that it takes for women to come forward, the sacrifices to them personally,
professionally, financially, the embarrassment, the humiliation, the shame that we still deliver on the backs of
women who have been brutalized, who have been raped, who have been assaulted, the shame that the media pours over their heads,
that their colleagues, their friends, their neighbors, their loved ones, because you come forward and because you talk about sexual assault,
you are not a It's not because of what you wore. You're not a But that's how women are treated and you're not lying.
And I want every woman to know, every Epstein survivor to know, every woman across the country who is a survivor, who is a victim of assault,
that we today, we see you. And this fight and this vote tonight, I see it it is about the Epstein victims,
but it's about much more than the Epstein victims. This is about the powerless taking power away
from the very powerful. This is about giving women who never had a voice, giving a voice
to the voiceless. This is about their sacrifice. This is about having and recognizing
their courage. This is about justice for the Epstein victims, but it's also about hope. Earlier this year,
I gave a speech right here on the floor of the US House of Representatives detailing trauma that I experienced, endured, and am a
survivor of, that I accidentally uncovered two years ago, almost to the day.
And today, I still don't have justice, like millions of women across the country. When I spoke out,
I got attacked. When I spoke out, I was shamed. When I spoke out, I was defamed and smeared, and that goes on
today, right now, in the present. God sure has a funny way of working through us. I, like many of the Epstein survivors
and many other survivors across the country, I don't think I'll ever heal from the destruction my abuser did to me.
But I can heal by being a vessel and being a voice for all those who need it, and that's why we are here today. That is why I will never abandon a single
survivor, ever, and I will never waver. I spent my morning talking to law enforcement
and others about another potential Jane Doe, Jane Doe number five, who may be another sexual assault victim in the
case that I uncovered two years ago. It's very difficult for us to come forward, but I want to thank the women who have
the Epstein victims, the victims in the case that I uncovered, I want to thank all of you for being a voice, for giving me hope. Maybe one
day, I too can get justice. Thank you, and I yield. The lady yields back. Gentleman from Kentucky. Reserves. Reserves.
Gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. >> Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining? Gentleman has 5 and 1/2 minutes remaining. I yield myself 3 and 1/2
minutes. Gentleman is recognized. Mr. Speaker, all that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. And we've had a lot of good men
doing a lot of nothing on the other side of the aisle, until we did something. Three brave women and myself and the and the Democrat caucus, we did something.
And then what did they do? They've opposed us every step of the way. They've lied about the legislation. Let me tell you some of the lies they've told. They've said that it doesn't
protect victims. Well, if that is so, why were dozens of victims with us today at a press conference urging this body
to pass this legislation? It's because this legislation specifically protects victims. They've said this legislation does not prevent
the release of child pornography. Of course it does. We have a specific provision in our legislation to prevent that. They've said so many falsehoods about
this legislation, but now they're going to vote for it, hopefully enthusiastically. But really, they've been dragged to this. Our judicial system is broken.
If it were working, there wouldn't be a thousand victims who haven't seen justice yet. They are victims of the Epstein class.
I I begrudge nobody success that they become a billionaire, but if you think being a billionaire or buying politicians keeps you out of the
judicial system, lets you rape young women, lets you traffic women, you've got another thing coming when this bill passes.
Do not let the Senate muck this up. There have already been efforts to derail this our our discharge petition.
The Oversight Committee has released thousands, tens of thousands of documents. That's fine. Keep working. How many
names have you released? Zero. You are still protecting, or the DOJ is protecting, pedophiles and sex
traffickers. The time for that to stop is now. Now, our speaker says, "Oh, this Senate this bill needs amended in the Senate."
And specifically, he's trying to create a loophole. He's trying to categorize the pedophiles as victims. He's saying, "Oh, we don't embarrass the
people that went to the rape island. We should protect those names against unreliable accusations." Is he calling
all of these victims unreliable? They've testified to the FBI. The FBI has these names in their possession.
I asked the FBI director in a hearing, "Have you looked at the documents?" No, he trusts everybody that's been there for decades.
That is wrong. Do not let the Senate muck this bill up. And if you are if you're a party to that in the Senate, you are part of this
cover-up that we are trying to expose. I am sorry if one of your billionaire donors is going to get embarrassed cuz he went to rape island.
That is what they have coming. In fact, they need to be on the other side of bars, a lot of them. Some of them will be embarrassed,
but some of them need to go to prison. And the survivors know that. So, how will we know if this bill has been successful? We will know when there are men, rich men, in handcuffs being
perp-walked to the jail. And until then, this is still a cover-up. I urge my Senate colleagues,
do not muck up this bill. The president has already said he will sign it. That means he will sign the bill that we have here today. Do not change this bill. He is ready to
sign it. Give it to him. Put it on his desk. Let's get just him justice for these victims. With that, I reserve.
The gentleman from Kentucky reserve?

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