House Passes Epstein Bill 427-1, Senate by Unanimous Consent

Epstein bill passes. Trump will sign it. Then what?

Congress Approves Bill to Release Epstein Files

The Wall Street Journal reports Congress Approves Bill to Release Epstein Files After Monthslong Fight

Congress overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday mandating the disclosure of a trove of government files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a milestone in a long-running fight that divided President Trump’s MAGA movement.

The House voted 427-1 to pass the measure, after a band of Republicans bucked party leaders and joined with Democrats to force the matter past the opposition of GOP leadership. Hours later, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) made a motion to pass the measure by unanimous consent when it is transmitted from the House. No senator objected, putting the bill on track to be sent directly to Trump’s desk.

Epstein survivors and their backers in Congress fought “so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), whom Trump tagged as a traitor over her push to release the files. “These survivors deserve full transparency. Every document, every truth, every name,” she said.

The one lawmaker to vote against the House measure was Rep. Clay Higgins (R., La.), who cited concerns about information regarding innocent people being revealed.

Ahead of the House vote, survivors of Epstein’s abuse as teenagers held a press conference Tuesday alongside Greene and other main bill proponents, Reps. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D., Calif.). Victims expressed frustration with past Democratic and Republican administrations’ lack of action but particularly targeted Trump and GOP lawmakers, for what they saw as their efforts to block or slow down the files’ release.

Justice Department officials could cite a number of reasons why the material should stay under wraps, but it wasn’t clear whether they would do so. A department spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Justice Department could also cite as a continuing investigation a review Trump recently ordered into Epstein’s relationship with former President Bill Clinton and other Democrats.

In July, the Justice Department backtracked on Bondi’s pledge to release more files, saying that after an “exhaustive review,” it had found no “incriminating client list” or additional documents warranting public disclosure. Amid pressure on Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee over the summer sent subpoenas to the Justice Department and the Epstein estate seeking documents related to Epstein.

Johnson said legislation amounted to “a political show vote” by Democrats, who were trying “to tie President Trump somehow into this wretched scandal.” He said the bill has insufficient privacy protections for victims who haven’t stepped forward publicly.

Critics “are afraid that people will be embarrassed,” said Massie. “Well, that’s the whole point here.”

Trump on Truth Social

After Trump finally caved recall what he said on Truth Social.

As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat “Shutdown.” The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the Public on “Epstein,” are looking at various Democrat operatives (Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their relationship to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE! All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT, which is the Economy, “Affordability” (where we are winning BIG!), our Victory on reducing Inflation from the highest level in History to practically nothing, bringing down prices for the American People, delivering Historic Tax Cuts, gaining Trillions of Dollars of Investment into America (A RECORD!), the rebuilding of our Military, securing our Border, deporting Criminal Illegal Aliens, ending Men in Women’s Sports, stopping Transgender for Everyone, and so much more! Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory. Some “members” of the Republican Party are being “used,” and we can’t let that happen. Let’s start talking about the Republican Party’s Record Setting Achievements, and not fall into the Epstein “TRAP,” which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

What Can the House Committee Have?

And now “the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to.”

That is the big potential gotcha.

What’s Next?

PBS discusses What’s Next for the Epstein Files

• There’s a deadline. The bill demands that all Epstein files be released within 30 days.
• The fine print. There are some categories of information that can be withheld or redacted: personal information about victims, explicit depictions of child abuse, anything jeopardizing a federal investigation, depictions of death or injury, information properly classified to protect national security. 
• What happens after the files are released? Within 15 days of the document drop, the Department of Justice must give Congress a full list of all materials released and withheld, a full report on any redactions, and a list of all government officials and “politically exposed persons” named in the materials.
• What happens after the files are released? Within 15 days of the document drop, the Department of Justice must give Congress a full list of all materials released and withheld, a full report on any redactions, and a list of all government officials and “politically exposed persons” named in the materials.

Justice Department officials can still block things.

Look at one of the categories of information that the attorney general can withhold — anything that “would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary.”

That is an understandable exception. And when the bill was written, it did not seem likely to include a large amount of material. There is no known current Epstein investigation. Epstein himself died in prison in 2019 before he went to court. Maxwell has been convicted and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

But in the last week, Trump specifically asked the DOJ to launch a *new* Epstein investigation into a list of individuals and entities. All of the individuals named, including former President Bill Clinton, are Democrats.

Authority to Classify Documents

Both President Trump and the DOJ have broad legal authority to classify documents, including those in the Epstein files, under Executive Order 13526 (as amended). This order empowers the President, Vice President, agency heads (like the Attorney General), and other designated officials to classify information as “Confidential,” “Secret,” or “Top Secret” if it could reasonably be expected to cause damage to national security, foreign relations, or law enforcement investigations.

Classification decisions must be based on specific criteria, such as protecting intelligence sources or ongoing probes, but they are often subjective and can be appealed only through internal executive channels.

• Trump’s Role: As President, Trump holds ultimate classification authority and can direct agencies like the DOJ to classify or declassify materials at his discretion. He has a history of using declassification for political ends (e.g., during his first term) and could similarly classify Epstein-related docs to limit public access. Critics argue this could be invoked under the guise of “national security” for files involving high-profile figures, even if the core content is criminal rather than intelligence-related.
• DOJ’s Role: The DOJ, as the custodian of Epstein’s investigative files (including FBI memos and sealed court materials), can independently classify portions of them, especially if tied to active probes. A new Trump-ordered investigation could justify classifying “investigative materials” to prevent interference. For instance, Attorney General Pamela Bondi (appointed in Trump’s second term) oversaw an earlier partial declassification in February 2025, releasing previously leaked docs but withholding others. The current bill’s language gives the DOJ significant discretion to determine what qualifies as “unclassified,” potentially allowing broad redactions.

In short, the bill advances transparency but leaves a loophole: Trump and the DOJ can classify Epstein documents to keep them sealed, effectively controlling what the public sees.

This would lead to accusations of a potential cover-up, with social media users warning it could protect powerful allies.

If Trump releases dirt on Democrats, as soon as a Democrat is in the White House, they will do the same.

Eventually, this will all come out. The key word is on eventually.

We will know more within 30 days of trump signing the bill.

Trump Not Having a Good Month

Earlier today I noted Hoot of the Day: Trump-Appointed Judge Blocks Texas Gerrymandering

On November I asked How Bad an Evening Did Republicans Have in Yesterday’s Elections?

Let’s discuss some election benchmarks, posted in advance.

On November 17, I commented Fed Vice Chair Blames Tariffs for Lack of Progress on Inflation

Well, guess who’s going to be furious over this.

On November 15, I asked What Should We Make of the Biggest Trump Tariff TACO Yet?

Trump is rolling back tariffs. I am laughing, not complaining.

And the big grandaddy is the Supreme Court appears poised to kill Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

For discussion, please see What Are the Odds the Supreme Court Rules Against Trump on Tariffs?

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