The Epstein files petition now has its 218th signature. What happens next?

WASHINGTON —

Adelita Grijalva’s swearing in on Wednesday made her Democrats’ newest member in the US House of Representatives and officially set in motion lawmakers’ effort to force a vote on a measure the White House has fought for months: a bill to compel the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.

After her formal swearing in, Grijalva provided the 218th – and final – signature needed on the discharge petition to force such a vote and, in turn, trigger a number of procedural steps before the House can vote on a bill compelling the files’ release.

As a refresher, a discharge petition is a critical tool at rank-and-file members’ disposal. Under the arcane procedure, if 218 members of the House – a majority of all 435 districts – sign one, they can force a floor vote in the chamber