US House and Senate pass bill to force release of Epstein files; pending Trump's assent
The bill forces the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison.
The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday (local time) to force the release of Justice Department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership.
The bill passed the House 427-1, with the only no vote coming from Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump. He said in a statement that he opposed the bill because it could release information on innocent people mentioned in the federal investigation.
Senate unanimously agree to pass Epstein files bill
Soon after the House vote, the Senate also approved the Epstein Files Transparency Act, sending the legislation to Trump’s desk for his signature. The dispute over the files had exposed a rare and unusually public rift within Trump's inner circle, drawing even loyal supporters like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene into open disagreement with him.
With the Senate's approval, no further action is needed in the chamber. The bill will now be sent directly to President Donald Trump for his signature to become law.
The bill forces the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. It would allow the Justice Department to redact information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations, but not information due to "embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity."
Even before the bill's passage on Tuesday, thousands of pages of emails and other documents from Epstein’s estate have been released from an investigation by the House Oversight Committee.
Those documents show Epstein's connections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, influential political figures and Trump himself. In the United Kingdom, King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after pressure to act over his relationship with Epstein.
Trump's reversal on the Epstein files
Meanwhile, Donald Trump had urged Republican lawmakers to vote to release files, saying that he and his party have nothing to hide. While talking to reporters, Trump on Monday said that Epstein was connected to more Democrats and that he didn't want the Epstein files to "detract from the great success of the Republican Party."
Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein years ago, but tried for months to move past the demands for disclosure.
Still, many in the Republican base continued to demand the release of the files. Adding to that pressure, survivors of Epstein’s abuse rallied outside the Capitol Tuesday morning. Bundled in jackets against the November chill and holding photos of themselves as teenagers, they recounted their stories of abuse.
(With AP inputs)
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