House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would send lawmakers home a day early for a five-week summer recess to avoid a political fight over the files.

The US House of Representatives has been paralysed for the second week straight as Republicans have refused to convene proceedings to avoid taking up motions moved by Democrats over the ‘Epstein files’.

Republicans had planned unrelated votes, but members of the party did not want to vote on the Epstein issue, for fear of retribution from angry supporters who are demanding the release of case files.