House Oversight and Government Reform Committee member Lauren Boebert. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Just two months ago, there was a “revolt” in Congress over the Trump administration’s efforts to bury the Epstein files. Once it became clear that a few House Republicans would support a discharge petition requiring the files’ release, Donald Trump himself flipped on the issue and ordered GOP lawmakers to do the same. Nearly all congressional Republicans voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which gave the Department of Justice 30 days to release all of the materials (with redactions of materials that might harm Epstein’s victims). Some observers thought it might be the beginning of the end of Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party or even over his own MAGA movement, where the Epstein files have long been the object of powerful conspiracy theories.
That 30-day deadline has now come and gone, and only a small fraction of the Epstein files have seen the light of day. Indeed, as the Guardianreports, the slow-walking from Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice seems downright defiant:
Justice department attorneys said in a 5 January Manhattan court filing that they had posted approximately 12,285 to DoJ’s website, equating to some 125,575 pages, under this legislation’s requirements. They said in this same letter that justice department staff had identified “more than 2 million documents potentially responsive to the Act that are in various phases of review”.
That these DoJ’s disclosures apparently comprise a drop in the bucket – and have done little to shed light on how Epstein operated with apparent impunity for years – has roiled survivors’ advocates and lawmakers.
The original House co-sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, are so furious about the administration’s noncompliance that they have petitioned federal district court judge Paul Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York to intervene and force an independent audit of the files and their release, arguing that the “DOJ cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act.”
Meanwhile, most of Massie’s congressional Republican colleagues seem to be moving along to other matters having made their one gesture the passage of the law Team Trump is now refusing to implement. As Politico reports, the widespread indifference is typified by Colorado representative Lauren Boebert, one of the handful of House Republicans who joined Khanna and Massie and forced the issue to the House floor via a rare discharge petition:
“I don’t give a rip about Epstein,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said last week when she was asked to take stock of the month since the Dec. 19 deadline.
“Like, there’s so many other things we need to be working on,” she added. “I’ve done what I had to do for Epstein. Talk to somebody else about that. It’s no longer in my hands.”
Even those Republicans who do “give a rip” about the Epstein files seem more interested in selectively than completely releasing them:
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has worked with Democrats on a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigation into the Epstein case, said in a recent interview she’s now more more focused on holding Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for not honoring the panel’s subpoena to testify about Epstein.
Many of the photos released by the DOJ so far feature the former president consorting with Epstein, and the administration has sought to portray Bill Clinton as the real pariah, not Trump.
This is entirely contrary to the law that Representative Anna Paulina Luna and 215 other House Republicans voted to impose on the DOJ in an atmosphere of great self-righteousness. Luna told Politico the original deadline for release of the files wasn’t “realistic,” which does make you wonder why she voted for it just two months ago. Once viewed as a demonstration of the legislative branch’s last-ditch willingness to show just a little bit of independence from Team Trump, the Epstein files saga is now showing that only the judicial branch and perhaps midterm voters can exercise effective oversight of this lawless administration.
The divisions in American politics are usually obvious, often nowhere more than in the House of Representatives. But there are also glimmers of bipartisanship, and, lately, many of those have been driven by women.
At the start of this year, Reps. Brittany Pettersen, a Democrat, and Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican, united forces to challenge House leadership with a push to make the House friendlier for new mothers. In the past few weeks, three of the most outspoken House Republican women broke ranks with their party — and bucked President Donald Trump — in an effort to release more files related to the case of the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
And this week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida and Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California came together on a House resolution calling for expanded early screening for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), a blood-clotting disorder that can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant people.
They credited their cooperation to singer Christina Perri, who learned she had APS after losing her daughter Rosie late in pregnancy in 2020. Perri is now channeling her grief into advocacy. She said in an interview that it was “a privilege” to see lawmakers like Kamlager-Dove and Cammack putting their party affiliations to the side and uniting on an issue so important to her.
“What matters is that we’re women, we’re moms, we just want other women and moms to be okay,” she said. “And I find that really inspiring at a time where everything is just so messy, and I feel grateful to be a part of something like this.”
Women make up half of the U.S. population but hold just 28 percent of seats in Congress. Research has not backed up the notion that women lawmakers are, overall, more bipartisan than men at the federal level. But select instances so far in this Congress show how unlikely coalitions of women lawmakers have united across party lines, challenged party leadership or both.
A major news conference at the Capitol with Epstein survivors last week yielded what four years ago would have been an all but unthinkable scene: Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a progressive Democrat, defending and embracing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a conservative firebrand and staunch Trump ally.
“She has shown so much courage on this issue, so much leadership,” Khanna said of Greene, who was met with an uneven reception by the crowd. “I saw some people, when I was coming here, calling her names. We’ve got to stop that. We’ve got to stop the partisanship on this issue.”
Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky are attempting to force a House floor vote on the Epstein files resolution with a procedural measure known as a discharge petition, which enables members to circumvent House leadership to get a measure to the floor. Every sitting House Democrat and just three Republicans other than Massie — Greene, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina — have signed the discharge petition, leaving it just one signature short of the 218 required to force a vote.
Never underestimate a woman. We all came here to do work. We all made promises, and some of us live up to them.
All three women have maintained their support for the measure despite fierce opposition from Trump and the White House. At the news conference, Massie called Greene “the bravest woman in Congress.” He also posed the question: “Where are the men?”
“Never underestimate a woman,” Boebert said at the Capitol on Tuesday. “We all came here to do work. We all made promises, and some of us live up to them.”
Shared experiences around pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood have united some House members to work across the aisle.
“I think I can say very candidly now, as a new mom, moms just know how to multitask and learn how to get things done,” said Cammack, who welcomed her daughter Auggie last month. “And that might be why you see more bipartisan efforts coming out of the women, even though we represent a minority in Congress.”
At Tuesday’s news conference, Kamlager-Dove, Cammack and Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio all spoke about their experiences with pregnancy losses while building their families.
“What unites us is far deeper than what may appear on the surface,” Kamlager-Dove said. “Many of us share journeys to parenthood that are marked by hope, loss and eventually, resilience.”
Luna, the Florida Republican, and Pettersen, the Colorado Democrat, are also among the handful of House members to give birth while in office — and both missed votes after giving birth. They teamed up on a measure to allow new parents in the House to temporarily designate another member to vote for them, also known as proxy voting. House Speaker Mike Johnson vigorously opposed the effort, leading the duo to turn to a discharge petition. They succeeded in getting 218 votes on their discharge petition and overcame Johnson’s effort to quash the measure on the floor, temporarily grinding House business to a halt. Luna later struck a deal with Johnson, standing down on the proxy voting push in exchange for other concessions (Pettersen and other Democrats criticized the deal as insufficient).
Now, Luna is a member of another bipartisan coalition, this one backing a proposed ban on stock trading for members of Congress. Another member of the group, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a progressive Democrat, said at a September 3 news conference that, unlike in other legislative negotiations, lawmakers turned around a better product than the one they started with.
“It is one of those rare moments where I feel like Washington is working the way it’s supposed to work,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “And it feels foreign. And it feels alien … but I also think it is proof that things can work here.”
Women lawmakers “are better communicators,” Luna told The 19th while leaving House votes on Tuesday. At the September 3 stock trading ban news conference, she indicated she’s prepared to challenge House leadership again if necessary.
“I often feel like an adjudicator in this job,” she said. “And so I guess I’ll be the one to say that we’ve asked nicely for leadership to put this on the floor. If they don’t, I say timeline is end of month: There’s a discharge petition that is ready to go.”
It is one of those rare moments where I feel like Washington is working the way it’s supposed to work.
The most consequential legislation passed by Congress this year has been muscled through without Democratic support, and there have been plenty of moments of acrimony on the floor.
Much of it has been clearly gendered: On Wednesday, as the House considered its annual defense spending bill, Mace erupted at Rep. Sara Jacobs, a California Democrat, during debate over Mace’s proposed anti-transgender amendments to the legislation. Rep. Sarah McBride, a Delaware Democrat who this year became the first openly transgender lawmaker to serve in Congress, has faced repeated attacks and misgendering from some of her Republican colleagues.
High-profile but not expressly political public figures have, in many cases, been the catalysts for bipartisan congressional action.
Years of tireless lobbying by Paris Hilton led to Congress passing a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect in youth residential facilities last December. Engineer, author and science TV host Emily Calandrelli’s personal story of being hassled by TSA as a new parent led to the Senate and a House committee passing bipartisan legislation making it easier for parents to travel with breast milk and breastfeeding equipment through airport security. The legislation has not received a vote on the House floor.
And Epstein’s survivors, Khanna said, are “helping us come together as a country.”
“I’ve never done a press conference with Marjorie Taylor Greene before,” he joked at the September 3 news conference.
Both Cammack and Kamlager-Dove credited Perri with using her platform to raise awareness about APS — and bringing them together on a mission to promote the adoption of what they said is a simple test that could spare so many the heartache of pregnancy loss.
“We bonded over a common story of having a miscarriage and wanting answers to questions that were not easy to come by,” Kamlager-Dove said.
“Without her advocacy, without her courage to come forward, this wouldn’t be happening, and so she has been the driver in really bringing us together to make this a reality,” Cammack said.
Cammack said she’s “very confident” about the resolution on APS testing moving forward and getting a vote on the House floor. Perri said the measure’s passing would be “a win for everybody,” and a victory “that feels kind of rare right now.”
“My hope and goal is to have this changed forever, for women to not need to even know about it,” she said. “But until then, I will always speak about it, and I will help move the needle forward.”
A former Florida congressional candidate was charged for an election-related threat to kill his primary opponent, U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna.
An indictment was recently unsealed charging the Florida Republican with threatening to kill his primary opponent in the 2021 election for the 13th Congressional District of Florida and a private citizen and acquaintance of his opponent.
According to the indictment, 41-year-old William Robert Braddock III, of St. Petersburg, and Victim 1 were candidates in the Republican primary election to represent the 13th Congressional District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives. Victim 2 was a private citizen and acquaintance of Victim 1.
According to 2021 court documents, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna reported that Braddock was stalking her and wanted her dead.
On June 8, 2021, Braddock made several threats to injure and kill Victim 1 and Victim 2 during a telephone call with Victim 2. Specifically, Braddock threatened, in part, to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make Victim 1 disappear. After making the threats, Braddock left the United States and was later found to be residing in the Philippines. Braddock was recently deported from the Philippines to the United States and made his first court appearance in Los Angeles.
The former Republican Florida congressional candidate is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. If convicted, Braddock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is investigating the case with support from the St. Petersburg Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Manila, and U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance. The investigation also benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation provided by the Philippine Department of Justice and Philippine Bureau of Immigration.
Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint.
Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to support recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Florida and other states across the nation.
“My constituents in Pinellas County depend on Congress to take swift and decisive action in the wake of this unprecedented disaster caused by Hurricane Helene,” said Republican Congresswoman Luna. “I am ready and willing to return to Washington and ensure our communities receive the critical resources necessary for a rapid recovery. Americans are counting on us, and we must take immediate action to address their life-saving needs.”
The bill, introduced by Democratic Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz, allocates an additional $15 billion in response to Hurricane Helene, including $10 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster relief and emergency assistance and $5 billion in supplemental funding to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.
The office of Representative Anna Paulina Luna is committed to supporting constituents during this challenging time by providing a variety of resources. She provided a list of updated federal and local resources to help with assistance that is needed, and told residents do not hesitate to reach out directly to the Congresswoman’s office.
Here is the list of resources provided by Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna:
Important Steps for Assistance:
Contact Your Insurance Provider: If you have experienced damage to your home, business, or vehicle, your first step is to file a claim with your insurance company. Be sure to take photographs of all damages and submit them along with your claim.
Filing a Claim with FEMA: After contacting your insurance company, you can also apply for disaster relief through FEMA. Below are links to the FEMA website and their mobile app, where you can access the application for disaster assistance:
FEMA Mobile App (Available for download on app stores)
Please be aware that after disasters, scammers may take advantage of vulnerable individuals by offering fraudulent assistance or services. It’s essential to protect yourself. Be cautious of anyone who arrives uninvited and offers to perform repairs. Always verify that the contractor provides a valid address, telephone number, and license information. For more details or to file a complaint, you can contact Pinellas County Consumer Services at 727-464-6200.
provides low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery & equipment, inventory, and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster.
If you or a veteran you know needs immediate housing assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (24/7) – 1-800-424-3838
If you’re unable to receive a benefit payment after a disaster, contact the VA National Call Center at 1-800-827-1000 to request a special one-time payment.
If you’re a displaced Veteran and receive VA employment services, you may qualify for two additional months of Employee Adjustment Allowance. Contact your local VA regional office to speak with a Veteran Readiness & Employment specialist to learn more.
The County Information Center remains open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice.
Call (727) 464-4333.
Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the County Information Center via online chat at bit.ly/PinellasChat
Disaster Distress Hotline:
The Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7 toll-free, multilingual disaster crisis counseling for anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters. Call or text1-800-985-5990
American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter:
(Can provide emergency medical assistance/medications, disaster recovery planning, meals and water.)
Food, water, and tarps are available at three points of distribution on Pinellas barrier islands:
St. Pete Beach: 4700 Gulf Bvd. Food, water and tarps
Treasure Island: 10451 Gulf Blvd. Food, water and tarps
Tierra Verde Fire Station: 540 Sands Point Drive. Water only
Crisis Cleanup
This is for people who need help cleaning up damage from Hurricane Helene and connects people with volunteers from local relief organizations, community groups, and faith communities who may be able to assist with jobs such as mucking (cleaning up), trees, tarp, and debris. All services are free, but service is not guaranteed. This hotline will remain open through Oct. 11, 2024.
8-10am Thursday, 1700 W Fig Street and 340 E Davis Blvd
4-6pm Friday, 340 E Davis Blvd.
Fare Free Bus Services:
To assist residents affected by Hurricane Helene, the City of St. Petersburg and PSTA are offering a two-week period of fare-free bus service within St. Pete city limits, starting Monday, September 30 through Sunday, October 13.
Applies to: Regular bus trips that begin and end within St. Pete city limits
Exclusions: Does not apply to Access, MOD, or other mobility services
SunRunner Update: SunRunner is turning around at Pasadena due to westbound access limitations
Fares Resume: Monday, Oct. 14, 2024
For more information on routes and schedules, visit psta.net.
Free Laundry Services:
Parking lot across from Allendale United Methodist Church (3803 Haines Rd. N) – 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Clearwater North Greenwood Library, 905 N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., Clearwater, FL 33755, Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed Sunday.
St. Petersburg:
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4444 5th Ave N, St. Petersburg – Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Lakewood United Methodist Church, 5995 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. St. S., St. Petersburg – Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Pets welcome)
St. Pete Beach:
St. Pete Beach Community Center, 7701 Boca Ciega Dr., St. Pete Beach – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Madeira Beach:
Madeira Beach City Hall, 14225 Gulf Blvd, Madeira Beach, Open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice.
Seminole:
Seminole Recreation Center, 9100 113th St, Seminole, – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Largo:
Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Dr, Largo – Monday – Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Gulfport:
Gulfport Senior Center, located at 5501 27th Ave. S., Gulfport – open through Oct. 4, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dunedin:
First United Methodist Church of Dunedin, 421 Main St., Dunedin – Monday, Sept. 30, through Thursday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You can visit the Pinellas County Animal Services’ Found Center to check for your lost pet or drop off a found pet at 12450 Ulmerton Road, Largo. Found Center hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can check other local animal shelters as well.
