House

Democrats fume over lack of Oversight hearings, accusing GOP of dodging on Epstein

Comments:

by Rebecca Beitsch - 04/22/26 6:19 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Rebecca Beitsch - 04/22/26 6:19 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

House Oversight Committee Democrats are fuming over Republicans’ shift away from holding formal hearings, accusing the majority of trying to dodge any further action on subpoenas in the Epstein investigation and questioning whether the order came from the White House.

Instead of hearings, where witnesses are sworn in and members can make motions, the panel has instead been holding roundtables, a different format that carries no such risk.

The move comes after Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) moved to subpoena then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, gaining support from all Democrats and four of her GOP colleagues on the panel. But after Bondi failed to appear for a deposition on April 14, Democrats say Republicans are trying to thwart an effort to hold her in contempt.

Once again, the Epstein files have made for an unusual alliance: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) agrees with them.

“I hate it,” Boebert told The Hill over the change in format, saying it was coming from “higher up.”

“Apparently we’ve been put on restriction. I didn’t know I could be grounded at 39 years old.”

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) suggested the directive had come following an intervention from the White House.

“Round tables are not a formal meeting at the House, and therefore you cannot make motions to subpoena, motions for contempt, or motions that have the weight of congressional action. And it’s our understanding that the Republicans have told members that the reason why they’re not holding hearings is because their own members ‘can’t stay focused,’” she told The Hill.

“Meaning that they might make motions to or vote in favor of motions for contempt, and that the administration asked them directly to stop doing it. And if that is the case, then the administration is colluding with the Oversight Committee to stop congressional oversight into the administration.”

The House Oversight Committee has held numerous roundtables over the last year, but it has held zero formal hearings since Bondi’s slated deposition. One subcommittee has met since then, and the panel is planning to soon hold a committee mark up and another subcommittee hearing.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), one of the sponsors of the bill that forced the public disclosure of the Epstein files, told The Hill.

“They’ve canceled hearings to avoid a subpoena of Pam Bondi, or to avoid Pam Bondi being held in contempt. They’re not doing the people’s business to protect Pam Bondi. It’s outrageous, and in my 10 years in Congress, I’ve never seen anything like that, where they’ve canceled hearings to protect one individual.”

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) also bashed the move, saying “my theory is that they heard from the administration and have decided to do no oversight over the administration because they’re trying to please Donald Trump.”

“I’ve heard enough to strongly believe that the administration and Oversight Committee leadership is working in concert, and that’s not how oversight is supposed to work of an administration. I get they’re in the same party, but we shouldn’t be a rubber stamp committee when our job is to do oversight of the executive branch.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said no such request had come from the White House.

“I haven’t talked to Trump in seven or eight months,” he said, later confirming he has also not had any such request from White House staff.

“I think it shows the Democrats don’t care about anything substantive. They just want to show their rear ends and make motions and do all that.”

The House Oversight Committee majority defended the round table format after ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) distributed a memo to the panel’s Democratic members this week, warning the move was an effort at “avoiding hearings because they don’t want Democrats to force votes.”

“Roundtables provide opportunities to have more substantive and direct conversations with ordinary Americans about issues facing communities across the U.S., such as lawfare against farmers and ranchers, crimes against children, AI deployment, and more,” a committee spokeswoman said.

“Next week, the Oversight Committee will markup legislation to prevent fraud in federal programs that has been informed by our oversight. This year, the Committee has also conducted 15 transcribed interviews and depositions as part of our ongoing in