Congress Must Enforce the Epstein Files Law, Amid Venezuela Distraction

Today marked the statutory deadline for the Department of Justice to submit to Congress a written justification for any documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files that were redacted or withheld. That requirement, along with the December 19 deadline for releasing the files themselves, was established by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed overwhelmingly in both houses and became law on November 19, 2025. The Department of Justice appears to have missed both deadlines. This is not a technical oversight or a matter of agency discretion. Congress enacted a clear statute with mandatory deadlines, and the executive branch is legally obligated to comply. Failure to do so constitutes defiance of the law and an erosion of Congress’s constitutional oversight authority. As information from the Epstein files continues to emerge in fragments, the public has learned that federal prosecutors once considered charging “co-conspirators,” that powerful individuals traveled repeatedly on Epstein’s private aircraft, and that Epstein maintained access to staff and services from Mar-a-Lago. Recently released video footage has also contradicted prior official statements regarding the surveillance system at the federal detention facility where Epstein died in August 2019. These revelations heighten, rather than diminish, the urgency of full disclosure. Congress possesses ample legal authority to respond when the executive branch ignores statutory commands. That authority includes compelling compliance through civil enforcement actions, invoking contempt powers, conditioning appropriations, and—where warranted—initiating impeachment proceedings against officials who knowingly violate federal law. These tools exist precisely to prevent executive stonewalling in matters of public accountability. At the same time, the Trump regime appears eager to redirect national attention toward manufactured foreign crises, including escalating confrontation with Venezuela. Americans are capable of understanding more than one issue at once, and no amount of saber-rattling abroad will distract from unanswered questions at home. War rhetoric cannot be used to obscure missed deadlines, withheld evidence, or unequal justice. Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act because the public demanded answers and accountability in a case involving extraordinary abuse of power and influence. Allowing the Department of Justice to ignore that law without consequence would set a dangerous precedent: that statutes passed by overwhelming bipartisan majorities can be nullified through delay and silence. I urge you to act immediately to enforce the Epstein Files Transparency Act, demand sworn explanations for missed deadlines and redactions, and use every lawful mechanism available to ensure full compliance. Transparency delayed is accountability denied, and the credibility of our justice system depends on Congress asserting its authority now.