Bill demanding publication of all documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein will now be signed into law by President Trump.
The long buried Jeffrey Epstein files are now on the brink of full publication after both chambers of Congress moved decisively to force their release, clearing a major hurdle for President Donald Trump, who has already pledged to sign the measure into law.
In a striking display of bipartisan unity, the House of Representatives voted 427 – 1 to compel the Justice Department to publish tens of thousands of documents tied to the late financier. According to C,SPAN, just one Republican, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, opposed the motion.
The Senate, in an unusual show of efficiency, then agreed by unanimous consent to fast track the legislation the moment it arrives from the House, sending it directly to the President’s desk. President Trump, who has faced persistent criticism over the files’ secrecy, has made clear he wants them released.
The White House previously concluded in July that Epstein died by suicide and insisted there was no evidence of a high profile “client list”, a finding that infuriated many of the President’s most loyal supporters, who believe powerful associates may have silenced Epstein to protect themselves.
The push for transparency gained momentum after Democrat Ro Khanna introduced legislation demanding the full trove of documents be made public, following the Justice Department’s announcement that it would not release any of its Epstein files.
Unusually, a handful of Republicans broke with President Trump early on to help advance the bill. Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie co sponsored the legislation, along with representatives Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
After Tuesday’s overwhelming House vote, Ms Mace wrote on X, “We met with the survivors. We heard their stories. We just voted to release the files. Now the Senate must vote yes. No more delays. Democrats had four years and did nothing. Now is the time.”
Ms Greene hailed the moment as a “major victory”, adding, “This vote should’ve been easy. Instead, the original four , Massie, Mace, Boebert, and myself , had to fight through months of intimidation just to get the discharge petition to 218 signatures. Americans are done being lied to. These survivors deserve full transparency… If those names reach me, I will read them on the House floor.”
Mr Khanna praised the rare cooperation between parties, saying, “If we extend some grace to people across the aisle and see them as human beings, we can fight for justice not just for survivors but for forgotten Americans shafted by a corrupt system.”
The Democrat had initially struggled to secure enough support to force the vote until Adelita Grijalva, delayed by the 43 day government shutdown, was finally sworn in on November 12.
While President Trump had resisted releasing the documents for months, he shifted his stance on Sunday as the bill’s passage became inevitable in the GOP controlled chamber. On Truth Social he wrote, “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax… I don’t care! All I do care about is that Republicans get back on point.”
The President, who used his veto power 10 times in his first term, is not expected to block the measure.
The sole Republican dissenter, Mr Higgins, defended his vote on privacy grounds. He warned, “If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt. Not by my vote.”
Speaker Mike Johnson also voiced concern, saying he was “deeply disappointed” the Senate approved the bill without adjustments. He argued that unredacted names could “ruin the reputations” of people unconnected to Epstein and called for more flexibility for Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Mr Johnson said, “Their names may be in these files, and they had nothing to do with this. And so by just haphazardly releasing this you’re going to destroy their reputations.” He added that Ms Bondi needed “broader authority to redact all the victim information.”
The text of the legislation already allows redactions to protect victims, shield federal investigations, block depictions of child sexual abuse, and safeguard national security.
Survivors of Epstein’s trafficking ring rejected suggestions that the matter was politically motivated. At a press conference, Marina Lacerda said, “This is not a hoax. It’s not going to go away.” Haley Robson, a registered Republican, urged President Trump to confront the victims directly, saying, “We are real human beings. This is real trauma.”
In a separate vote, the House attempted but failed to remove Democrat Stacey Plaskett from the Intelligence Committee after messages surfaced showing she had exchanged texts with Epstein during a 2019 hearing. Her office confirmed he contacted her, stating, “As a former prosecutor she welcomes information that helps her get at the truth and took on the GOP that was trying to bury the truth.”
The statement added, “The congresswoman has previously made clear her long record combating sexual assault and human trafficking, her disgust over Epstein’s deviant behaviour and her support for his victims.”
Mr Khanna also used the moment to call on Andrew Mountbatten,Windsor to testify before Congress about his links to Epstein, saying the UK showed “moral urgency” by stripping him of his titles.
As the bill now speeds toward the Oval Office, Congress appears on the verge of forcing the most significant release of Epstein related material ever, and this time with President Trump’s full backing.
