As Policy Task Force Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) attended a DWC meeting with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s heinous abuse. Last night, she signed onto a discharge petition that would force a vote on the release of the Epstein files. She released the following statement following today’s meeting:

“Today, we heard directly from courageous survivors who traveled to Capitol Hill to share their stories, pursue justice in the face of real threats and serious intimidation, and suggest important reforms to ensure this never happens again. The abuse they endured at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is unconscionable. Decades later, they are still dealing with a system that failed them.

“These brave survivors have never received justice, and their predators must be held accountable. Donald Trump has the power to release all the information in the files about Epstein, but he continues to refer to it as a hoax and to block any attempts at transparency and accountability.

“If these survivors have showed us anything this week, it’s that they will not give up. And neither will we. We will continue pushing for the release of the Epstein files and standing with the survivors on the long road toward justice. Any Republican who refuses to sign onto the discharge petition will be remembered by history as a bystander who chose the wealthy and powerful over innocent women and girls.”