(22 Jul 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington, DC -22 July 2025
1. Mid of top House Democrats walking to lectern
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, (D) California / House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair:
"Donald Trump promised that he was going to lower inflation on Day One. He lied. Inflation has continuously increased. The most recent report has inflation increasing above expectations to 2.7 percent. Core CPI increased even more to 2.9 percent. And what are Congressional Republicans doing? Nothing. In fact, it’s even worse than that. They were actually ending this week early because they’re afraid to cast votes on the Jeffrey Epstein issue. The Rules Committee is not meeting because they’re afraid to cast votes to release the Epstein files. So you’ve got this Epstein issue affecting congressional operations and making sure that the congressional Republicans don’t work on trying to lower costs. So this is an epic coverup, right? This is a coverup of epic proportions where you’ve the majority party literally having us leave Congress early and not having the Rules Committee meet because they don’t wanna deal with releasing the Epsteine files."
3. Wide of top House Democrats at lectern
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, (D) California / House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair
"This is an issue about underage women who were sexually abused and assaulted. Attorney General Pan Bondi should not be protecting Jeffrey Epstein’s legacy. Nor his clients. Nor should congressional Republicans be doing the same."
5. Wide of top House Democrats at lectern
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Pete Aguilar, (D) California / House Democratic Caucus Chair:
"Donald Trump and his son, and his closest friends, spent years fanning the flame of this theory. And now we’re holding them accountable. Do they want to protect the rich and the powerful? Or do they want the truth? Those are the questions that the Oversight Committee hopefully will get to the bottom of."
7. Wide of top House Democrats at lectern
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Pete Aguilar, (D) California / House Democratic Caucus Chair:
"Jeffrey Epstein was prosecuted under the Department of Justice, under Donald Trump. Then he leaves the White House, and his closest friends spend four years amplifying theories about the case. Put up or shut up. Follow through or don’t follow through. But the American people want the truth to come out and Democrats are the ones leading the charge for that."
9. Garcia and other top Democrats walk away from lectern and exit
STORYLINE:
Top House Democrats are slamming their GOP colleagues in response to House Speaker Mike Johnson sending members home early for a month-long break from Washington.
Johnson’s is rebuffing pressure to act on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and it
comes as the week’s legislative agenda was upended by Republican members who are clamoring for a vote.
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said Tuesday morning that he wants to give the White House “space” to release the Epstein information on its own, despite the bipartisan push for legislation that would require more records to be released.
Top House Democrats say it’s a smokescreen.
"The Rules Committee is not meeting because they’re afraid to cast votes to release the Epstein files," said Rep. Ted Lieu, the California who serves as the Democratic Caucus vice chair.
"This is a coverup of epic proportions where you’ve the majority party literally having us leave Congress early and not having the Rules Committee meet because they don’t wanna deal with releasing the Epsteine files," he said.
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