Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson responded on Thursday amid reported blowback from members of his party over criticism they've faced for voting down a Democratic-led effort to force the release of documents related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Democrats attempted to send the 2026 budget back to committee but lost the vote by a single member's absence. After the vote, members began debating the bill, but Republicans made one significant mistake that could delay passage of the bill.