Congress is back. So is turmoil over Epstein, CA redistricting and local money
Will any California Republican support a full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files?
Will Rep. Kevin Kiley’s bill to ban mid-decade redistricting go anywhere?
Will West Sacramento get $43 million Rep. Doris Matsui is requesting for its Levee Improvement Project?
Congress returned to Washington Tuesday after a summer hiatus, and instantly faced quick deadlines — and turmoil.
The most ominous: If President Donald Trump and lawmakers don’t agree on how to fund the federal government by Oct. 1, much of the government will shut down. Prospects for an accord at the moment are dim, but then again, that’s nothing new for these Trump-Congress showdowns.
As September rolls on, though, there are plenty of other deadlines and questions that matter to the Sacramento area and northern California. Among them:
Can Kiley stop redistricting?
Kiley, R-Roseville, has proposed legislation to bar the sort of mid-decade redistricting that Californians will vote on in November — a change that analysts say will jeopardize his chances of returning to Congress next year.
Kiley, now in his second House term, won his seat in the district east of Sacramento that stretches into the Tahoe area last year, with 55% of the vote. New lines would give him more of Democratic-friendly Sacramento, creating a district that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris would have won by 10 points.
It’s not expected that Kiley’s congressional legislation will go far. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Kiley have spoken, but there’s been no indication from Johnson that it will get a vote. The Speaker’s office did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Kiley could use a “discharge petition” to bring his bill to the House floor, and has considered doing so. That’s a rarely used maneuver, because it defies Congress’ leaders, and Kiley could be hurting his stature within the GOP caucus if he does so.
Kiley Tuesday urged his colleagues to support his effort. “California politicians, led by the governor, are throwing a grenade at our Constitution in order to strip power from voters and seize it for themselves,” he said in a House floor speech.
Opening the Epstein files
Momentum is growing in the House to pass legislation requiring the release of the sex trafficker’s files. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Santa Clara, are leading the effort to get the effort to a floor vote.
They’re hosting a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday that is supposed to include Epstein victims.
Among the strong supporters of disclosure is Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento, one of 45 co-sponsors of legislation demanding the files’ release.
“President Trump can exonerate himself by releasing the Epstein files. What does he have to hide?” Bera said on X. He plans to sign the petition.
Most Democrats are expected to back the Massie-Khanna effort. Democrats have 212 House seats, and if all sign the petition, six Republicans would be needed to force a vote. Massie and Khanna expect to have enough votes.
The House may also consider voting on a measure directing one of its committees to continue investigating different aspects of the activities of Epstein and colleague Ghislaine Maxwell. Massie called that vote “meaningless.”
Epstein died six years ago in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Members of both parties have demanded to see who else was involved in his activity, but the Trump administration said earlier this year no such list exists.
Kiley said he will not sign the petition. Reps. David Valadao, R-Hanford and Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Will Sacramento projects be funded?
Members of Congress can seek funding for very specific projects that help their communities in a variety of ways.
Once called earmarks, most California lawmakers use a process where those interested can apply for the funding.
The requests include a wide swath of projects covering a huge variety of topics, notably roads, water, colleges, health care facilities and more.
One of the biggest requests from Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, is $43 million to continue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ construction of the West Sacramento Levee Improvement Project.
The project, Matsui’s office said, “will ensure the safety and protection of vital infrastructure, the ecosystem, and the economy in West Sacramento.”
The money would be attached to a spending bill. But it appears highly unlikely the needed legislation will be approved by Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year, if at all.
All of the spending bills appear to be in jeopardy, which means Congress and Trump would have to agree on a stopgap measure, a bill unlikely to include any such specific projects. Matsui’s office said it would seek other means of funding.
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