Congress Near-Unanimously Orders Release of Jeffrey Epstein Files; Bill Now Heads to the President

Congress compels DOJ to disclose Epstein investigative records

Both chambers of the U.S. Congress moved overwhelmingly on Tuesday to force the Department of Justice to release its files related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House approved the measure 427-1, and the Senate advanced the bill by unanimous consent, sending it to the White House for the president’s signature.

House vote and lone dissent

The House vote was 427-1. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) cast the sole "no" vote, explaining on X that he opposed the bill from the start because, in his view, it "abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America" and risks exposing innocent people — witnesses, those who provided alibis, and family members — if broad investigative files are released to the media.

Senate action and leadership statements

Hours after the House passed the bill, the Senate allowed the measure to proceed by unanimous consent, a parliamentary procedure that advances legislation without a roll-call vote if no senator objects. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) filed the unanimous consent request after the House vote and framed the action as a sharp rebuke of the president: "This will go down as one of the most damaging moments of Donald Trump’s presidency. In trying so hard to hide the truth, Donald Trump has provoked the fiercest rebellion he’s ever faced among his own supporters, both in Congress and around the country."

What the bill would do

The bipartisan measure, introduced in July by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and cosponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), would require the DOJ to publish — in a searchable, downloadable format — all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials related to Epstein within 30 days. The text of the bill does permit the DOJ to withhold certain categories of information, including victims' personal data and materials that could jeopardize an active federal investigation.

Political context and responses

President Trump had resisted disclosure for months but publicly reversed course over the weekend, urging House Republicans to support release of the files and telling reporters he would sign the bill if it reached his desk. Observers noted that the president previously had the authority to release such records without new legislation but had not done so.

Senate Republican leaders signaled they expected to move quickly given the president’s stated willingness to sign. House Speaker Mike Johnson — who initially tried to block a floor vote — ultimately voted in favor but urged the Senate to consider amendments to strengthen protections for victims. Senate leaders, citing the overwhelming House margin, suggested changes were unlikely.

How the bill reached the floor

The measure reached a full House floor vote after Rep. Thomas Massie filed a discharge petition in September that gathered the necessary signatures to bypass House leadership resistance. Massie, joined by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and all House Democrats, forced the vote. Newly elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) was the final signatory that allowed the discharge petition to succeed.

Survivors and public reaction

Some of Epstein’s survivors watched the House vote from the gallery, and lawmakers said the chamber erupted in cheers when the bill passed. Outside the Capitol, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene praised survivors and the coalition of lawmakers who pushed the legislation: "These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. And they did it by banding together and never giving up."

Background and outstanding questions

Epstein died in an August 2019 Manhattan jail cell while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges. His death has long been the subject of conspiracy theories alleging he was murdered to conceal the names of powerful people; those theories have been amplified by public figures and remain unproven. In July, the Justice Department and FBI issued a joint memo concluding Epstein died by suicide and that no "client list" was found, saying further disclosure would not be appropriate or warranted. That finding sparked criticism from some of the president’s supporters, who pressured the administration to release all investigative materials.

If signed into law, the bill would require the DOJ to make unclassified investigative materials public within 30 days while retaining authority to withhold sensitive information that could harm victims or active investigations.