Senate Republicans on Wednesday narrowly voted to table an amendment that would have required the Justice Department to release all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) used a procedural maneuver that caught the GOP off guard and left Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) visibly frustrated.

The 51–49 tally underscored internal Republican divisions over whether to force disclosure of the Epstein records, even as calls for transparency grow louder among MAGA-aligned voters, The Hill reported.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a rising conservative figure, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a leading libertarian voice, broke with party leadership by voting against tabling the Epstein amendment.

“This has been my consistent position,” Hawley told reporters after voting. “My position has long been I think we ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files. I think this is a similar deal.”