--- title: "Massie secures 218 signatures for Epstein files bill vote" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/massie-secures-218-signatures-for-epstein-files-bill-vote" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/massie-secures-218-signatures-for-epstein-files-bill-vote" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/massie-secures-218-signatures-for-epstein-files-bill-vote.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/massie-secures-218-signatures-for-epstein-files-bill-vote" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-11-12T19:46:11.571Z" source_reported: "2026-11-12T13:50:00.000Z" updated: "2026-11-12T19:46:11.571Z" trust_score: 48 critic_score: 57 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-12T19:30:18.041315+00:00" --- # Massie secures 218 signatures for Epstein files bill vote *A discharge petition aims to force a House vote on legislation allowing victims to sue the DOJ over withheld records.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 48 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to a named body (Massie) and corroborated by 15 outlets, but lacks named on-record sources. - Craft 57 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is clear and holds together, but lacks quotes from affected parties or opposing views. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use strong language like 'Last Stand' and 'Showdown' but the body is factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie has collected 218 signatures for a discharge petition, forcing a House vote on a bill related to Jeffrey Epstein's records. - The proposed legislation would enable victims to sue the Department of Justice if they allege records were unlawfully withheld or redacted. - Massie is collaborating with Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Teresa Leger Fernández, and Ro Khanna on the petition. - A vote on the bill is expected within the next few weeks. U.S. Representative Thomas Massie announced on November 11 that he had obtained 218 signatures for a discharge petition. This action compels a vote in the House of Representatives on a bill concerning records related to Jeffrey Epstein. The legislation, if passed, would allow victims to sue the Department of Justice over records they allege were unlawfully withheld or redacted. Massie stated he is working with Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Teresa Leger Fernández, and Ro Khanna on the petition. The House is expected to hold a vote on the matter in the coming weeks. ## Disagreement on bill's aim Reports differ on the specific entities the bill would empower to sue the DOJ. Digests from Conservative Playlist, Conservative Playbook, patriot.tv, The Liberty Daily, and The Epoch Times state the bill would allow Epstein's victims to sue the DOJ. However, a digest from anr.news and The National Desk indicates the legislation would allow states to sue the DOJ. Politico's digest suggests the bill would allow states to sue the DOJ, while The Hill's digest states the bill aims to aid prosecutors. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention the specific date of November 11 when Massie announced he had secured the signatures. None of the centre-rated digests mention the specific date of November 11. None of the right-rated digests mention the specific date of November 11. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 23% (3) - Centre: 15% (2) - Right: 62% (8) 3 of 16 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-12T19:30:18.041315+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-12T20:00:27.028Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted that U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie secured the necessary signatures to force a House vote on the Epstein files bill. Axios noted Massie, described as an "Outgoing Trump foe," is forcing a new showdown over the files. Washingtonsun.com reported that Massie successfully forced another Epstein files vote, mentioning that Rep. John Garamendi was the sole Democratic holdout before signing the petition. Politico stated that a discharge petition would pave the way for legislation allowing states to sue the DOJ. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie securing the 218 signatures needed to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II. The Hill's digest stated the bill aims to aid prosecutors. Roll Call's digest reported that another bill to release Epstein files is headed to the House floor. ### Right - Right-rated reports led with U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie's effort to force a vote on the Epstein files bill, with Zero Hedge using the headline "Massie's Last Stand." Multiple digests, including those from Conservative Playlist, Conservative Playbook, patriot.tv, The Liberty Daily, and The Epoch Times, stated that Massie had secured the 218 signatures needed to force a House vote on a bill allowing Epstein's victims to sue the Department of Justice over records they allege were unlawfully withheld or redacted. Conservative Daily News described Massie as "Sourpuss" and noted he enlisted Democrats to get the signatures. Anadolu Ajansı reported that the bill reached the required number of signatures and that Massie is working with Democrats to bring the bill to the floor, criticizing how a previous law on the files was handled. The National Desk reported Massie announced he had enough signatures for the discharge petition for "Epstein Files part 2" and mentioned his work with Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna, Teresa Leger Fernandez, and Pramila Jayapal. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 4 - mixed: 2 - high: 5 - unknown: 3 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Zero Hedge](https://zerohedge.com/political/massies-last-stand-epstein-files-petition-hits-218-over-gop-leaders-heads) — Massie's Last Stand: Epstein Files Petition Hits 218 - And Doesn't Need Speaker Signoff - [Conservative Playlist](https://conservativeplaylist.com/massie-pushes-for-vote-on-epstein-records-bill) — Massie Pushes for Vote on Epstein Records Bill - [Conservative Playbook](https://conservativeplaybook.com/massie-pushes-for-vote-on-epstein-records-bill) — Massie Pushes for Vote on Epstein Records Bill - [patriot.tv](https://patriot.tv/massie-pushes-for-vote-on-epstein-records-bill) — Massie Pushes for Vote on Epstein Records Bill - [🔔 The Liberty Daily](https://thelibertydaily.com/massie-pushes-vote-epstein-records-bill) — Massie Pushes for Vote on Epstein Records Bill - [The Epoch Times](https://theepochtimes.com/us/massie-pushes-for-vote-on-epstein-records-bill-6124016) — Massie Pushes for Vote on Epstein Records Bill - [anr.news](https://anr.news/politics/house-members-force-new-vote-on-epstein-files) — Australian National Review - House Members Force New Vote on Epstein Files - [Axios](https://axios.com/2026/11/11/massie-epstein-files-second-vote) — Outgoing Trump foe Massie forces new Epstein files showdown - [Conservative Daily News](https://conservativedailynews.com/2026/11/sourpuss-massie-enlists-democrats-to-get-218-signatures-to-force-a-second-epstein-files-vote-over-gop-leaders-heads) — Sourpuss: Massie Enlists Democrats to Get 218 Signatures to Force a Second Epstein Files Vote Over GOP Leaders’ Heads - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/americas/new-epstein-files-bill-reached-number-of-signatures-needed-to-force-house-vote-says-congressman/4121437) — New Epstein files bill reached number of signatures needed to force House vote, says congressman - [washingtonsun.com](https://washingtonsun.com/congress/massie-epstein-transparency-vote-house-discharge-petition) — Massie Successfully Forces Another Epstein Files Vote - [The National Desk](https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/massie-announces-he-has-enough-signatures-for-discharge-petition-for-epstein-files-part-2-ro-khanna-california-pramila-jayapal-sex-trafficking-donald-trump-rtt) — Massie announces he has enough signatures for discharge petition for Epstein Files part 2 - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6214408-massie-epstein-files-discharge-petition) — Massie secures signatures to force vote on second Epstein files petition - [Roll Call](https://rollcall.com/2026/11/11/another-bill-to-release-epstein-files-headed-to-house-floor) — Another bill to release Epstein files headed to House floor - [Politico](https://politico.com/live-updates/2026/11/11/congress/epstein-files-transparency-act-discharge-01161062) — House members force new vote on Epstein files - [Newsmax](https://newsmax.com/newsfront/thomas-massie-jeffrey-epstein-doj/2026/11/11/id/1275993) — Massie Gets 218 Signatures for Epstein Files Vote ## Questions **What is the purpose of the bill U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie is pushing for a vote on?** The bill aims to allow victims of Jeffrey Epstein to sue the Department of Justice. This action would be permissible if they allege that records concerning Epstein were unlawfully withheld or redacted by the DOJ. The legislation is intended to increase transparency regarding these records. **How many signatures did Thomas Massie need to force a House vote on the bill?** U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie needed to secure 218 signatures to force a vote on the bill through a discharge petition. He announced on November 11 that he had successfully gathered this number of signatures, compelling the House to consider the legislation. **Which other representatives are working with Thomas Massie on this effort?** Representative Thomas Massie stated he is collaborating with Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Teresa Leger Fernández, and Ro Khanna on the discharge petition. Their combined efforts were instrumental in gathering the 218 signatures required to bring the bill to a House vote. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/massie-secures-218-signatures-for-epstein-files-bill-vote. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Massie secures 218 signatures for Epstein files bill vote", https://mediabias.news/politics/massie-secures-218-signatures-for-epstein-files-bill-vote