Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Urging Republicans To Support His Amendment Directing The Attorney General To Release The Epstein Files

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor urging Senate Republicans to support his amendment which would force the Attorney General to disclose the Jeffrey Epstein files, emphasizing that Republicans must decide whether they will provide transparency to the American people, as they have been claiming to support for years, or continue to keep the records hidden. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks:

This morning, I introduced a very simple amendment that directs the Attorney General to release the Epstein files.

It's the same amendment as the one working its way in the House, and the same one that my good friend from Oregon, who just spoke on another issue, has been so active in championing.

As soon as today, Republicans have a chance to take a step further in releasing the files - the same files that for years they have said they wanted released.

If Republicans vote no, you'll be saying to the American people that they should not see the Epstein files.

I ask my Republican colleagues: after all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, why won't you vote yes?

Let me remind my colleagues of the things they have said for themselves about the Epstein issue.

After all, Senator McConnell said: "There's no question that the accusations against Epstein are horrendous, and I think it's good news that they're being pursued further." That's what Senator McConnell said.

What ever happened to that?

The current Majority Leader, Senator Thune, said less than 2 months ago: "Yes," he said, "we're all interested in making sure that justice is served and that there is full disclosure and there's transparency."

And what about Senator Blackburn, who said: "It is imperative that we figure out who was involved with Jeffrey Epstein. That is the only way we're going to break apart this $150 billion-a-year human trafficking, sex trafficking ring."

Or Senator [Kennedy,] who said: "The alleged victims are entitled to know what happened, the American people are entitled to know what happened."

Well, I could not agree more with all of them.

To my Republican colleagues, to every Senator, I say: this is your chance. Now.

You can vote right now to give transparency to the American people, or you can vote to hide the very Epstein files you've claimed to desperately want released for years. The choice lies with our Republican colleagues today.

If Republicans vote no, they'll be saying the American people should not see the Epstein files.

I say to my Republican colleagues again: if you vote no, you'll be saying the American people should not see the Epstein files, plain and simple.

The American people deserve transparency,

The American people are sick of Donald Trump's endless string of pathological lies and cover-ups when it comes to the Epstein files.

Trump lied when he promised he'd release the Epstein files.

Trump lied when he said the FBI never told him if his name was mentioned in the files.

Trump lied when he said he never wrote that gross, salacious letter to Epstein on his 50^th Birthday.

And he lied when last week he called the whole thing nothing but a "Democratic hoax." It's not a hoax. It's real, and Americans want to get to the bottom of it. Americans want transparency.

From Trump, we're hearing one brazen lie after the other. From Trump, we're hearing a massive cover-up.

Americans are wondering what the heck is Donald Trump hiding. Well, we can take back that veil. We can release those files. We can take a big step to releasing those files by voting yes on my amendment.

It is clear Donald Trump cannot be trusted to tell the truth to the American people. So, it should be up to the Senate to do so.

The Senate must force the issue.

And I say to my Republican friends: as long as you keep voting no, America is going to lose trust in government and lose trust in you.

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