Senate Republicans are not happy with House conservatives they view as hijacking the congressional agenda to make the disclosure of Jeffrey Epstein-related files their burning focus.

GOP senators say the matter should be left to President Trump and the Department of Justice and want House lawmakers to pay more attention to finding a way to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September.

Instead, House Republicans on the Rules Committee have brought their chamber to a partial standstill by refusing to vote down Democratic amendments to force the publication of Epstein-related files.

The House is about to leave town for a five-week recess despite having passed only two of the regular appropriations bills for fiscal 2026.

“You can’t do anything because of Epstein,” one senior GOP senator fumed. “Wow, what a way to shut it down. … How does it happen?

“We’re supposed to be focusing on governing the country. Let’s not get caught up in the tabloid exposé stuff. Let’s keep the government open. Let’s pass appropriations bills. Let’s do the boring stuff of governing and let other people get all ginned up about who’s sleeping with who,” the lawmaker said.

Senate Republicans are second-guessing Johnson’s effort to quell the controversy by sending his members away from Washington early to begin the August recess.

“I think that’s a silly reason to go home,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who has called on the Trump administration to “just release the damn files.”

Tillis suggested Johnson is........

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