Epstein File Transparency Act Passed by House
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives approved the “Epstein File Transparency Act” with an overwhelming 427-1 vote. This legislation was put forward by Republican Representative Thomas Massey from Kentucky.
A significant milestone was reached on November 12, when a petition to expel the bill gathered over 218 signatures, allowing it to head to a full House vote. Democratic Representative Adelita Grijalva from Arizona sponsored the bill and signed on right after taking office, ensuring its progression to the floor vote.
The House has finalized the vote, and the bill is set to be transmitted to the Senate. Recently, President Trump expressed his approval for the measure, which enjoys bipartisan backing.
This approval in the House indicates a shift in President Trump’s stance. In a surprising turn, he changed his previous criticisms of Massey’s initiative and encouraged House Republicans to support the release of Epstein-related records.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “As I told the Fake News Media aboard Air Force One, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide. It’s time to move on from this Democratic fabrication by radical leftists, which distracts from the Republican Party’s achievements, including the recent Democratic victory on Shutdown.”
The bill faced opposition only from Republican Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who voiced concerns that it would undermine the long-standing criminal justice system in America and endanger innocent people. He expressed willingness to support the bill if amendments were made to protect the privacy of individuals not involved in any crime.
On Friday, President Trump directed the Department of Justice to investigate Epstein’s connections to former President Bill Clinton and various major financial institutions, after accusing Democrats of misusing emails from the Epstein Foundation for political gain.
The legislation would empower Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified records from the Department of Justice, including those from the FBI, in a searchable format within 30 days of the law’s enactment. However, it stipulates that certain sensitive information—such as details relating to child sexual abuse or ongoing investigations—could be withheld or redacted.
Massey and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna introduced the expulsion resolution back on July 15. If successful, it would mandate the release of unclassified Epstein records to the House Rules Committee.
The petition for the bill garnered support from only four Republicans, compared to 214 Democrats who signed on, highlighting a lack of widespread backing from Republican members in recent weeks.
