The House floor is no stranger to theatrics, ensuring that there’s rarely a dull moment. This past week was no exception, with two notable events: the vote to reopen the government and the ongoing debate about releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files.

As reported by RedState, the House voted on Tuesday with an overwhelming majority of 427-1 to release Epstein-related documents. The only opposing vote came from Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana’s 3rd district. Meanwhile, the Senate approved the measure through unanimous consent.

In a related incident, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland’s 8th district addressed criticisms surrounding Del. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands. During a 2019 congressional hearing, Plaskett was criticized for texting with the convicted sexual offender Epstein. Raskin defended her by claiming Epstein was simply another constituent at that time.

“They’ve accused a Democratic member for accepting a call from her constituent, Jeffrey Epstein, during a hearing. There doesn’t appear to be any rule against taking calls during a hearing,” Raskin stated, dismissing the criticism.

“They’ve arraigned a Democratic member for taking a phone call from her constituent, Jeffrey Epstein, in the middle of a hearing. And of course I don’t think there’s any rule here against taking phone calls in a hearing,” Raskin insultingly proclaimed.