Is the real reason for this shutdown is to protect Trump from the release of the Epstein

[Botany]

No Congressional session means that Rep. Grijavlda doesn’t get sworn in and then she can’t vote
to release the Epstein documents. So what if people starve, air traffic controllers won’t be on the
job, and people will go without health insurance because the child raping man baby will be protected
for being held accountable for his crimes.

What part of that do I have wrong?

[spanone]

1. Protect trmp from the Epstein Files and damn the people.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Members of congress appear willing to lose elections rather than face criminal charges?

How many of them are on the Epstein list?

[Botany]

3. Sadly I don't think the vote will matter because "they" are deep into the voting outcome.

I hope I am wrong.

[cbabe]

4. That's a part of it but no congress lets t run amok as

dictator. Murdering boaters. ICE secret army. Ignoring all laws and courts. Selling voting machines to a maga republican. Theft of us treasury.

I’m not sure how we come back from this as long as Mike bends to t.

Can Mike be removed from speaker post?

[LonePirate]

5. The Epstein files is not the primary reason. It's a secondary if not tertiary reason at best.

The primary reason is a toss-up between the executive branch violating the Constitution by not spending money appropriated by Congress and the Dems’ insistence on shoring up the very fragile health insurance market for millions of Americans. The Epstein drama is largely a side show because even if Trump is documented to have committed heinous acts, nothing will come from it because he will not resign and neither the DOJ or Florida AG will charge him with anything.

[Qutzupalotl]

7. Yes, but if Trump's role in trafficking children comes out,

and especially if there are pics or video of him raping kids, the Republican party splits in two: those who stick by the rapist and those who are repulsed (or at least cannot support him publicly). The second group is probably larger.

That will blow their chances in the midterms and end the rapist's talk of a third term.

[Botany]

11. Trump was an active part of the Epstein & Putin (lots of girls from Russia and Eastern Europe) child sex

… trafficking ring. His plane flew the girls to various points, he had beauty pageants, he had
modeling tryouts, and Trump had wire transfers of money of money to one Epstein’s accounts.

[Alice Kramden]

6. The cruelty is the point

All the calamities you listed make these Republican sadists gleeful

[Patton French]

8. 100%

And it needs to be called out every day.

[republianmushroom]

9. You don't have it wrong.

[BlueTsunami2018]

10. They want to eliminate government entirely.

They don’t give a fuck about Epstein. They know full well that no matter what is in there, the cult isn’t going to care. We’re never going to get the full story there anyway. That’s a snipe hunt.

The real story is the elimination of the legislative branch. Johnson never has to call the House back into session. They can keep the shop closed forever. Everything they want to get rid of will just die on the vine. Healthcare, food assistance, you name it.

Protect 2025 is quite clear on this.

[chowder66]

12. I'm not sure what's in those files about Trump but I'm beginning to think that a lot of other people that are "donating

are in there and they are telling him to not release the files. Now he's squeezing them like Epstein did.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

13. Congressional Republicans are doing a "catch & kill" for Trump et al. with the Epstein files.

Trump doesn't even need David Pecker anymore.

[surfered]

14. YES!!!!!!!!!!

[Wiz Imp]

15. Several things.

Representative Grijalva can be sworn in at any time the Speaker wants to. Johnson is just using the shutdown as an excuse. He could still refuse to swear her in even if the government weren't shut down.

A vote on the Epstein files legislation can't happen until the House convenes for regular session. Technically, Johnson could continue to refuse to convene the House even if/when the shutdown ends and some people expect that to happen.

Once a vote on that legislation finally does take place, it does nothing by itself to get the Epstein files released. The legislation will still need to be passed by the Senate (highly questionable to happen) and then signed by Trump (not a chance in hell of that ever happening).

So, no, they did not shut down the government to prevent the House from passing legislation that has zero chance of ever becoming law.

A legitimate reason they don't want that vote to take place is it will force every Republican to officially go on the record as prioritizing protecting pedophiles. They know that would not go over well even with many of their MAGA constituents so they don't want it to happen. But regardless of what Republicans do, the vote WILL happen at some point.

But it's likely the only way the files get released is if at least 2/3 of the House and 2/3 of the Senate back the legislation so they can override Trump's veto.

[Deep State Witch]

16. I Think It's To Prevent

A group of Congresscritters from vacating the Speaker. Little Johnson is very unpopular with members of his own party. I wouldn't put it past Empty G and others to call for vacating the Speaker.