Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) stepped into two explosive debates at once: First, calling on Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to testify before the House Oversight Committee about any past association with Jeffrey Epstein. A newly circulated photo reportedly places Lutnick on Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James.
Mace says that Americans deserve clear answers when a Cabinet official appears connected to a disgraced predator.
Publicly, Mace said that testimony under oath would bring clarity and remove any lingering doubt, arguing that when powerful figures intersect with Epstein’s network, disclosure isn’t optional: It’s necessary.
Part of the episode where Hillary came unglued yesterday and was screaming — was to deflect from the fact Lutnick tried to raise money from Epstein for Hillary after she denied seeking funds from Epstein in her testimony.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) February 27, 2026
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) confirmed that a call to Lutnick remains under consideration, while several Democratic members have indicated they could move to issue a subpoena if Lutnick provides voluntary testimony.
Mace’s second push cuts deeper when she introduced the “Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act,” legislation that would amend Title 18 of the United States Code to authorize capital punishment for aggravated sexual abuse of a child and minor, and abusive sexual contact involving children.
“We have zero mercy for child rapists. Those who prey on our most vulnerable deserve the harshest consequence we can deliver,” said Congresswoman Mace. “No predator should be allowed to walk away from the most unthinkable crimes against children. This bill is simple. Rape a child and you don’t get a second chance, you get the death penalty. We will never apologize for protecting America’s children.”
The legislation builds on Rep. Mace’s relentless work to hold predators accountable, including her demands for full transparency and justice for the victims of child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and every person who conspired or collaborated with him. She has stood with survivors in calling for answers, accountability, and consequences that match the severity of the heinous crimes committed.
The bill would also change the Uniform Code of Military Justice to allow military prosecutors to seek the death penalty for child rape cases.
Previously, she secured an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 that granted military prosecutors the authority to seek the death penalty in such cases. Mace has been charitably blunt: those who intentionally sexually abuse children commit one of the most vile crimes imaginable. In her view, federal law should reflect that severity.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson supports revisiting the Supreme Court’s 2008 ruling in Kennedy v. Louisiana, which prevented the death penalty for child rape when the victim didn’t die.
On Monday, Wilson joined 19 other attorneys general in a letter urging the Department of Justice and White House Counsel to support overturning Kennedy v. Louisiana, which held that executing child rapists violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
The coalition argues the ruling was wrongly decided and denies justice for the most vulnerable victims.
For too long, child predators have been shielded from the full weight of justice. Anyone who rapes a child commits one of the most monstrous crimes imaginable, and they should face the most severe punishment the law allows. South Carolina will never side with predators.
The letter emphasized that several states have continued passing laws allowing capital punishment for aggravated child rape, suggesting there is no true national consensus against it.
Wilson argues that the decision prevents states and Congress from imposing what he considers full justice for extreme crimes against children.
Two South Carolina gubernatorial candidates have also voiced support for reinstating capital punishment for child rape, saying stronger penalties protect communities and may deter repeat offenders.
Talking about the death penalty isn’t a light subject; many Americans wrestle with it, yet even inside prison walls, inmates often isolate or target those convicted of child molestation. That’s the reality reflecting how deeply society condemns the crime.
Supporters of Mace’s bill argue that if any act warrants the ultimate penalty, the sexual abuse of a child qualifies.
Personally, I would ask to add that whatever actions the predator committed on a child should be repeated with the person.
Mace connects both issues under a single theme: accountability. She insists that powerful officials linked to Epstein’s orbit should answer questions in public view, while also insisting that those who prey on children face the strongest possible punishment under federal law.
Transparency at the top and consequences for the worst crimes send a message: Leadership isn’t above scrutiny — in fact, it deserves it — and children aren’t disposable.
Justice shouldn’t flinch.
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