The Epstein Saga Continues To Affect Washington: From The Politics Desk

Welcome to nan online type of From nan Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you nan NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and study from nan White House, Capitol Hill and nan run trail.

Happy Tuesday! In today’s edition, our Congress squad breaks down really nan Jeffrey Epstein saga is freezing up nan House of Representatives. And speaking of nan House, Steve Kornacki analyzes really mid-decade redistricting by Republicans successful a fewer cardinal states could change nan mathematics of nan midterms.

— Scott Bland

House cancels past time of votes earlier summertime break arsenic Epstein consumes Capitol Hill

By Scott Wong, Kyle Stewart and Syedah Asghar

The GOP-controlled House is cutting short its past workweek earlier nan summertime recess because of a conflict connected Capitol Hill complete nan merchandise of nan government’s files connected nan precocious financier and convicted activity offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The House was scheduled to clasp votes connected Thursday earlier lawmakers departed for their five-week recess.

But Republican leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers connected Tuesday that nan last ballot of nan week would now beryllium a time earlier, connected Wednesday afternoon. The displacement successful schedule occurred because of a standoff connected nan Rules Committee, which decides really authorities comes to nan level but has been crushed to a halt by nan Epstein issue.

The panel, which is intimately aligned pinch Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., typically passes a norm for authorities connected Monday that sets up statement and allows bills to travel to nan level for nan week. But Democrats had promised Monday to unit nan committee to return much votes connected whether to require nan Trump management to merchandise each remaining files from nan Epstein case.

To debar embarrassing votes connected Epstein, Republicans decided to recess nan committee and not effort to walk a norm for bills this week. Without a rule, Republicans would beryllium near pinch thing to ballot connected aft Wednesday.

The Epstein saga has dominated chatter connected Capitol Hill for much than a week arsenic galore Trump supporters person clamored for nan merchandise of each documents related to nan convicted activity offender and nan president and his management sought to downplay nan issue.

It appeared to beryllium dying down successful caller days, but nan Trump management breathed caller life into nan communicative Tuesday morning, erstwhile nan Justice Department announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet pinch Epstein subordinate Ghislaine Maxwell successful nan coming days.

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How redistricting could alteration nan conflict for nan House majority

By Steve Kornacki

In nan coming weeks, Republicans successful Texas and Ohio are expected to redraw their states’ legislature maps. Their intent is transparent: to bolster their party’s chances of protecting its super-slim House mostly successful adjacent year’s midterm elections.

As it stands now, location are 220 Republican districts, meaning nan statement tin spend a nett nonaccomplishment of nary much than 2 seats successful 2026 and still support nan House. In theory, nan redistricting effort could displacement as galore as eight seats from nan Democratic to nan GOP column, though nan eventual output will dangle connected really fierce nan GOP gets — and really overmuch nan courts and voters will tolerate.

It could besides beryllium offset by akin measures from Democrats successful bluish states for illustration California, wherever Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to do a redraw of his ain but faces a far trickier process.

Yet moreover if Republicans do look from a caller information of redistricting pinch a batch of new, safe seats, it whitethorn still beryllium woefully insufficient to support nan House, fixed nan melodramatic losses that nan statement successful nan White House often endures successful midterm elections. It was during nan first Trump presidency that nan GOP coughed up a nett 40 House seats successful nan 2018 midterms, easy losing power of nan chamber.

But nan building of nan existent Republican mostly is overmuch different than it was backmost successful ’18. Far less GOP seats now are successful districts that are politically dispute to Trump and a acold greater stock are successful politically safe Trump landslide districts. Nor are location arsenic galore marginal GOP incumbents successful districts Trump carried only narrowly successful nan astir caller statesmanlike election.

If successful, nan redistricting push would magnitude to different large quality from 2018: It would springiness Republicans acold much opportunities to play discourtesy this clip around.

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That’s each From nan Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Scott Bland and Dylan Ebs.

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