Before Tuesday’s expected vote in the U.S. House on releasing the Epstein files, survivors and lawmakers gathered at the U.S. Capitol to demand justice. U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — just days after President Trump attacked her on social media and withdrew his endorsement — kicked things off by emphasizing the strength and courage of the women standing behind her. She called them “survivors, not victims,” who fought a “horrific fight” by banding together and pushing for a vote in the House to release the files, even against “the most powerful people in the world,” including the President.
Greene said that while a unanimous vote in the House to release the files is expected, the real fight is ahead. They are demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ), the CIA, and New York judges release all the information to stop the survivors from living in fear and intimidation. And she praised Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for crossing the political aisle to support the survivors, highlighting the bipartisan nature of the cause.
A number of survivors took their turns telling their stories, often holding up photos of themselves as young girls when they were abused — reminding everyone that they were children.
Among them was Haley Robson, who stressed that the issue is not political, but a “human issue” about children. She directly challenged Trump, stating, “I am traumatized. I am not stupid,” and criticized all the delays and political maneuvering.
Lisa Phillips announced the launch of the “first national survivor-led political movement in America,” called the “Survivor Revolution.” This nonpartisan movement is focused on exposing the systems and power structures that protect predators. She warned those who benefit from the current system: “Alone, yes, we are afraid. But together, we are feared.”
And Annie Farmer gave a timeline, demonstrating that the institutional failure to stop Epstein and investigate his crimes has been nonpartisan, spanning the presidencies of Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden. This is a case of “institutional betrayal,” she said.
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