Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) unanimously passed a motion by voice vote to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell as the House remains in gridlock due to the Epstein files. 

Burchett offered a motion Tuesday morning in the House Oversight Committee to have Maxwell—Jeffrey Epstein’s associate—appear before the committee for a deposition, after the Department of Justice sought a meeting with her. 

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“Child molestation is the worst thing, ultimately the worst thing that anybody could ever do to somebody,” Burchett told the Washington Examiner last week. 

Burchett sent a letter to House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) requesting a subpoena for Maxwell to testify. Comer directed the Tennessee Republican to introduce the motion, allowing the committee to formally consider the motion. 

“The Committee will seek to subpoena Ms. Maxwell as expeditiously as possible,” a committee spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when the Committee can depose her.”

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The request to get Maxwell before Congress coincides with an effort by the DOJ and FBI to meet with her to see if more “credible evidence” can be released in the late sex offender’s case.

The focus on Maxwell comes as the House remains in legislative gridlock ahead of the month-long August recess due to the Rules Committee not passing anything out of committee to head to the floor. Democrats on the committee planned to offer the resolution introduced by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), to release the Epstein files, which would have forced Rules Republicans into a tough vote. The committee, instead, has recessed for the foreseeable future.

Last week, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) eventually had to file a rule that passed through committee, which consisted of non-binding language for the release of the files to get President Donald Trump’s spending cuts package across the finish line before it expired.

House GOP leadership does not plan on bringing the Epstein bill to the floor this week as Congress heads for its month-long recess, as Johnson told reporters he wants to give the administration “space” to deal with the issue.