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Congress Overwhelmingly Passes Legislation Compelling DOJ to Release Epstein Files

HeadlineNov 19, 2025

Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation Tuesday to compel the Justice Department to release all files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In the House, the vote was nearly unanimous at 427-1, with Republican Congressmember Clay Higgins of Louisiana being the only lawmaker to vote no. Just hours later, the Senate unanimously passed the House bill. President Trump had opposed the bill for months but dramatically reversed course over the weekend, when he encouraged Republicans to support the measure. He has vowed to sign the bill into law. Epstein and Trump were once close friends. On Monday, Epstein’s brother Mark told NewsNation, “Jeffrey definitely had dirt on Trump.” Several Epstein survivors sitting in the House gallery cheered and embraced one another as the final vote tally was read. We’ll hear from the survivors who spoke ahead of the House vote after the headlines.

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