The US House of Representatives voted 427-1 on Tuesday (Nov. 18) to compel the Justice Department to publicly release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The sweeping victory overcame months of opposition from President Donald Trump.
Trump now says he will sign the bill if it passes the Senate.
Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana voted against the bill despite chairing a subcommittee that recently subpoenaed the Justice Department over the same documents.
Survivors demand accountability
Abuse survivors gathered outside the Capitol Tuesday morning to describe years of trauma and government inaction.
“These women fought the most terrible fight that no woman should have to fight,” said Deputy Marjorie Taylor Greene, who stood next to several survivors. “We fought so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of the United States, to get this vote today.”
Survivor Jena-Lisa Jones, who said she voted for Trump, directly pleaded with the president: “Please, Donald Trump, stop playing politics with this.
Despite calling the bill a “raw and obvious political exercise,” Speaker Johnson said he would vote for it so as not to appear anti-transparency.
“None of us want to go on the record … to be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” he said.
Democrats claim victory
Democrats hailed the vote as a historic victory for the minority.
“It’s a complete and total surrender,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “Survivors and the American people deserve full and complete transparency.”
The House Oversight Committee has already released thousands of pages of documents from Epstein’s estate that reveal ties to global leaders, financiers, political figures — and Trump himself.
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What the law requires
If enacted, the bill would force the Justice Department to release within 30 days all files, communications and investigative materials related to Epstein, including details of the investigation into his 2019 death in federal custody.
The bill specifically prohibits the withholding of information for reasons of “embarrassment, damage to reputation, or political sensitivity.”
Sensitive details about victims and ongoing investigations may be redacted.
The bill now heads to the Senate
The bill’s future in the Senate is unclear. Senate Majority Leader John Thune avoided providing support, saying he trusted the Justice Department to release the information on its own.
So far, however, Trump’s Justice Department has released little beyond what was already public.
Johnson signaled he wanted the Senate to strengthen victim protections, while the bill’s sponsors, Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, warned senators not to derail the bill.
“We dragged it out for four months,” Massie said. “Those who are raising issues with the bill are afraid that people will be embarrassed. Well, that’s the point.”
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