The House of Representatives of the United States cast a huge vote on November 18, 2025, to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act by a near unanimous 427 by 1 vote. This meant that the Department of Justice of the United States would have to make public all the records that were not classified and that were related to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein Files Vote Passes As Trump Abruptly Switches Position
The pressure for the bill to be passed got stronger after the surprise assertion of Donald Trump who had previously been against the full disclosure but all of a sudden supported the vote. The bill has now been passed to the Senate, where, its fate is still uncertain, but its passing in the House was regarded as a spectacular bipartisan push for transparency. The significance of the vote’s timing and context cannot be overstated. For several months, the congressional attempts to compel the DOJ to make public the Epstein related files had been thwarted by the leadership’s tactics, including House Speaker Mike Johnson’s. Trump’s sudden change of heart came after both parties exerted pressure on him, and he realized that the vote would go through without his support. The advocates of the victims of Epstein welcomed the result, stating that it was a turning point for accountability and for the public’s right to know, although there were still concerns about the protection of victim identities and the availability of national security material.
Epstein Files
Looking ahead, the Senate has to make up its mind first about the bill and then possibly also about its amendments which would cause the bill to be put on hold again. Certain legislators cautioned that the changes related to censoring and exceptions for national security might lead to less openness. At the same time, Trump was making a loud statement saying that the documents would not only reveal the power but he would again state his case of being innocent. As the Justice Department is now exposed to very intense scrutiny, a lot of commentators are considering the House vote as a turning point that might be the one influencing Congress’ control over delicate investigations to be different in the future.
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