Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer's attempt to force a Senate vote to compel the Department of Justice to release the Jeffrey Epstein files turned out to be a very short lived one on Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, Schumer took a rare procedural step to tee up the Senate to vote on his amendment that would have required the release of Epstein documents ahead of a final vote on a must-pass defense spending bill. Republicans largely stuck together -- with 51 GOP senators voting to set aside Schumer's amendment.
Sens. Josh Hawley and Rand Paul voted with all Democrats to hold a vote on Schumer's amendment, but enough Republicans voted to swat it down, meaning it will no longer be considered. It would have taken 60 votes to pass the Schumer amendment.
MORE: 'It's not my signature': Trump says about alleged Epstein 'birthday book' letter
Though Democrats did not get the vote they wanted, they are expected to use this vote to show that Republicans are backtracking on their previous claims that they support transparency in the Epstein matter.
Schumer told reporters earlier Wednesday that he was forcing a Senate vote on releasing the Epstein files because "the American people need to see this."
"There's been so much lying, obfuscation, cover ups. The American people need to see everything that's in the Epstein file, and my amendment will make that happen," Schumer told reporters on Wednesday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters just outside the chamber, at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 10, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
It came after the GOP-led House Oversight Committee said it obtained documents and communications from the Epstein estate on Monday -- including the Epstein "birthday book," which is said to contain the letter that President Donald Trump allegedly signed for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. Trump and the White House have claimed that the signature in the birthday book is not his. On Tuesday night, Trump called it "nonsense."
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"It's not my signature. And it's not the way I speak. And anybody that's covered me for a long time, knows -- that's not my language," Trump said.
Schumer said the president has lied.
"Donald Trump has lied about this. 'There was no picture, there was no drawing,' -- there has been so many lies so much prevarication, so much cover up. The American people, Democrats, independents, Republicans are demanding it be made public and it should be. We hope Republicans will vote for it, they should," Schumer said.
MORE: Trump's alleged letter among 'Friends' section in Epstein's birthday book
The amendment would have forced the Justice Department to turn over all files related to Epstein within 30 days of the legislation's passage.
Schumer's move took an issue that had so far mostly been consuming oxygen in the House and reignited it in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks to media at the US Capitol in Washington, September 10, 2025.
Graeme Sloan/EPA/Shutterstock
Asked on Monday if he would lead the Senate in taking up similar legislation if the House managed to get the votes necessary to force a vote on and pass its discharge petition, Majority Leader John Thune called the question a "hypothetical."
"The Department of Justice has already released tons of files related to this matter and in my view I trust them in terms of having the confidence that they'll get as much information out here as possible in a way that protects the rights of the victims. But whether or not we would take some action on it, I think is a hypothetical question."