None of Nebraska’s House delegates signed on to the discharge petition regarding the Epstein files

None of Nebraska’s three Republican Congressmen signed onto the bipartisan discharge petition, filed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, that would force a vote on a bill to release all government files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Second District Rep. Don Bacon said he didn’t sign because he instead supports going through the House Oversight Committee.

“Frankly, I'd rather have everything transparent, put out there, protect the names of the victims,” he said. “But we see this being directed to the Oversight Committee. It's more comprehensive. It protects the victims. And if we didn't have anything like that, maybe I would consider the discharge petition.”

The discharge petition, Bacon argued, would have to jump more hurdles. It would need to be approved by the Senate as well as the president.

Bacon said the discharge petition is only asking for information from the Department of Justice, while he supports and voted for a House resolution releasing all Epstein records minus victims’ personal information.

First District Rep. Mike Flood said in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, “We have a plan. It’s going to get implemented, and it’s going to happen this week…What Massie and the Democrats are doing is all-out reckless…It was written in a sloppy way.”

Third District Rep. Adrian Smith told other news outlets he supports bringing justice to those affected by Epstein’s crimes, but not through the discharge petition.

The House Oversight Committee posted some files Tuesday, but critics argue many files were redacted and the information shared was already public. The House resolution to direct the Committee to continue its investigation, introduced by Republican Rep. Brian Jack of Georgia, was passed as a simple resolution in the chamber. Since the vote was by special rule, there was no record of individual votes, but all of Nebraska’s House members voted in support. It does not need Senate approval.