The House of Representatives voted 427–1 to require the Department of Justice to release investigative records tied to Jeffrey Epstein, advancing a measure that has drawn broad bipartisan support and sending it to President Donald Trump after the Senate passed the legislation unanimously. The vote marked one of the most unified moments in the current Congress, cutting across internal party divisions and ending months of procedural stalling that surrounded the bill.

Formally titled the Epstein Human Trafficking Records Transparency Act, the measure requires the Justice Department to disclose a wide range of documents connected to Epstein, including investigative files, communications among federal officials, and records referencing individuals linked to the case. The act mandates that names of victims and any identifying information involving minors be redacted, along with any remaining content tied to active investigations. The bill covers material held by the FBI, the Justice Department, and other relevant agencies involved in the earlier Florida and New York cases.

The legislation’s central requirement is that federal agencies must provide a public version of any nonclassified document and justify any redaction. Lawmakers from both parties described the mandate as a necessary step in addressing longstanding concerns over how Epstein operated, who had contact with him, and why certain aspects of past investigations went unresolved.

A rare bipartisan alignment

The overwhelming House vote came after a prolonged internal struggle. Lawmakers across both parties had pushed for the release of the files, but the bill repeatedly stalled due to objections from House leadership and hesitation from the White House earlier in the year. Those obstacles fell away in recent days after public pressure intensified and after President Trump announced he would sign the measure.

The only dissenting vote was cast by Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who argued that the bill’s scope could inadvertently reveal information about individuals unrelated to criminal activity. No other member voiced similar concerns during floor debate, and supporters pointed to the bill’s redaction requirements as sufficient protection.

Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, who led the push for the discharge petition that forced a vote, said the outcome demonstrated broad public demand for transparency. The petition required 218 signatures, a threshold that was reached only after weeks of negotiations and intervention from rank-and-file members who accused leadership of delaying the measure.

House Speaker Mike Johnson ultimately voted in favor of the bill despite raising concerns about privacy protections. Johnson argued that additional safeguards could be added later but acknowledged that the chamber would not hold up the legislation again.

Senate action and next procedural steps

The Senate passed the measure unanimously, clearing the final legislative hurdle before it reached the president. Senate leaders said the unanimous vote reflected the same level of bipartisan agreement that emerged in the House and signaled that the legislative branch was united in directing the Justice Department to release the Epstein files.

With both chambers in alignment, the bill now arrives at the White House for signature. President Trump has said he intends to sign it, though he has criticized the political narrative surrounding the case and objected to what he described as partisan interpretations of earlier investigations.

Once signed, federal agencies will have 30 days to identify all responsive documents, apply legally required redactions, and prepare the files for public release. The Justice Department must also submit a report explaining any material withheld and provide assessments of the categories of documents included in the disclosures. Lawmakers emphasized that the timeline is intended to prevent agencies from delaying publication.

Survivor involvement and public pressure

Victims of Epstein’s abuse played a prominent role in the push for the bill. Survivors and their representatives traveled repeatedly to Capitol Hill, holding press conferences alongside lawmakers and urging Congress to act. Many attended the House vote, some holding photographs and documents tied to their cases.

Advocates argued that past investigations failed to uncover the full extent of Epstein’s operations and that the release of federal records was necessary to understand how he maintained his network and avoided significant prosecution for many years. They also pointed to the 2008 non-prosecution agreement in Florida as a primary unresolved issue the disclosures could illuminate.

The House gallery included survivors who applauded when the vote tally was announced. Several lawmakers said the presence of victims made the significance of the vote clear, noting that many have awaited transparency for more than a decade.

What the disclosures may reveal

The files expected to be released include investigative notes, internal communications, financial documents, flight logs, and materials collected between the early 2000s and Epstein’s death in federal custody in 2019. The legislation also requires disclosure of names of government officials and politically exposed individuals found in the files, though any connection must be clearly contextualized and not imply wrongdoing absent evidence.

The Justice Department will continue to redact information relating to minors and ongoing investigations, meaning not all documents will be fully unsealed. However, lawmakers said the directive is structured broadly enough to release a significant amount of material that has never been made public.

The bill also covers communications between federal officials about Epstein’s detention, including exchanges tied to his supervision at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. Multiple reviews previously identified staffing failures at the facility, but many documents associated with those reviews remain sealed.

Looking ahead

Once the president signs the legislation, the Department of Justice will face one of the largest transparency requirements tied to a criminal investigation in recent history. The volume of documents — spanning numerous agencies and more than 15 years of investigative activity — means the review and redaction process may extend beyond the initial 30-day timeline, though agencies must publicly justify any delays.

Congressional committees are expected to monitor the release closely, and House and Senate leaders have indicated they may schedule additional oversight hearings depending on what the files reveal. Lawmakers say the disclosures could raise new questions about earlier prosecutorial decisions and the role federal and state agencies played in overseeing the case.

With both chambers approving the measure by overwhelming margins and the president signaling support, the Epstein Files Transparency Act is poised to become law in the coming days. Its implementation will mark a major shift in how federal investigative records are released and may provide the most comprehensive public accounting of the Epstein case to date.