Gambiaj.com – (WASHINGTON, D.C) The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill requiring the Department of Justice to release all unclassified files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, concluding months of political turmoil marked by fierce resistance from President Donald Trump and divisions within the Republican Party.
The measure, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, sailed through the House in a lopsided 427–1 vote, with only Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) opposing it. But the broad bipartisan margin masked a prolonged internal battle that pitted GOP members against their own leadership and the former president.
Trump, who had for months urged Republicans to block the bill, abruptly shifted course over the weekend, declaring on Truth Social that he now supported its passage, calling it “time to move on from this Democrat hoax perpetrated by radical left lunatics.” His late reversal followed clear signs that many Republicans were prepared to vote for the legislation despite his objections.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ultimately voted in favor of the bill, describing it as a step toward “maximum transparency.” But he accused Democrats of forcing a “political show vote” and expressed concern that the legislation lacked adequate safeguards for protecting victims’ identities, urging the Senate to amend the measure.
In an emotional scene inside the House gallery, survivors of Epstein—many of whom had gathered outside the Capitol earlier in the day to demand the files’ release—embraced and wept as the vote tally appeared on the board.
The bill’s passage follows a dramatic effort to bypass GOP leadership, led by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who triggered a discharge petition to force the measure onto the floor.
They were joined by Republicans Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), three members who faced direct pressure from Trump and administration officials to withdraw their support. The effort failed, and Trump later withdrew his endorsement of Greene.
At a press conference alongside Epstein survivors, Greene said the issue had “ripped MAGA apart,” underscoring the deep fracture the bill caused within the Republican Party.
Democrats, meanwhile, questioned Trump’s sudden backing of the legislation. “The president doesn’t want these files out, and one reason we know that is the president can order these files to be released right now,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
With the bill now headed to the Senate, momentum appears to be building for swift action. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced he would seek unanimous consent Tuesday evening to approve the bill immediately, signalling a rare moment of bipartisan alignment.
“The House has now spoken in an overwhelming fashion,” Schumer said. “There’s only one right answer for the Senate: Pass the bill as written today.”
Senate Republican Leader John Thune (S.D.) also indicated there was little appetite within his caucus to slow or amend the measure, especially after the House’s overwhelmingly bipartisan vote and Trump’s stated willingness to sign it.
“With a 427-1 vote in the House and the president saying he’ll sign it, I’m not sure that amending it is in the cards,” Thune told reporters, adding that the Senate GOP was currently “hotlining” the bill to check for objections.
A unanimous Senate vote could send the legislation to Trump’s desk as soon as Tuesday night, capping one of the most dramatic and politically sensitive transparency battles in recent congressional memory.
