In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to deliver an almost unanimous vote to force the release of all government files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The legislative push, culminating in a vote scheduled for November 18, 2025, comes after years of mounting public pressure, persistent advocacy from survivors, and a sudden reversal in position by President Donald Trump, who on November 16 urged House Republicans to support the measure, declaring, “we have nothing to hide.”
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), would compel the Department of Justice to disclose all unclassified records, investigative materials, flight logs, and internal communications tied to Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and other linked individuals. The legislation demands that, within 15 days, the Attorney General provide Congress with a detailed report on the categories of records released and withheld, the officials referenced, and the reasons for any redactions. Importantly, the bill bars redactions for reasons of “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity,” though the privacy of victims must be protected.
Within 30 days, the Justice Department would be required to make all investigative materials—spanning Epstein’s notorious 2008 non-prosecution agreement, civil cases, and the circumstances of his 2019 death in federal custody—available in a searchable format. As The New York Post and Newsweek report, the measure’s passage in the House is seen as all but certain, with Senate Republicans already signaling enough support to advance the bill to President Trump’s desk for signature.
President Trump’s endorsement of the files’ release marks a dramatic shift from his previous stance. Only weeks prior, he had dismissed House Republicans pushing for transparency as “very bad, or stupid,” and characterized the controversy as a “Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party.” Yet, in a Truth Social post on November 16, Trump wrote, “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.” He reiterated to reporters, “Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it, but don’t talk about it too much.”
Trump’s reversal followed a week of intensified scrutiny. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee selectively released emails referencing the president, including one labeling him the “dog that hasn’t barked.” The White House dismissed the emails as “selectively leaked” to create a “fake narrative to smear President Trump.” Nevertheless, the political calculus shifted as it became clear that a significant bloc of Republicans, including high-profile figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), were prepared to break ranks and support the discharge petition forcing a vote.
Rep. Massie, who spearheaded the petition, said, “I’ve just demonstrated I can get something done with the Speaker against me, the President against me, the Vice President against me, and the FBI director against me.” The successful petition required 218 signatures, locking in support even if lawmakers subsequently changed their minds or left Congress—a safeguard that proved crucial as the White House and party leadership attempted to dissuade defectors.
The bipartisan momentum for transparency has been amplified by Epstein’s survivors. On November 17, anti-trafficking group World Without Exploitation released a moving video featuring women who encountered Epstein as teenagers, urging lawmakers to “bring the secrets out of the shadows.” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a vocal supporter, told The Post, “The Epstein vote transcends politics, it’s deeply personal. And it’s about far more than one predator. This is about justice for every survivor who has found the courage to come forward.”
Epstein’s death by suicide in a Manhattan jail in August 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, has fueled years of suspicion and conspiracy theories. Maxwell, his longtime associate, is serving a 20-year sentence following her June 2022 conviction for her role in the trafficking conspiracy. The files in question include flight logs, correspondence, and documents detailing Epstein’s relationships with a who’s-who of global elites—among them Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, economist Larry Summers, and others. Notably, recently released emails revealed ongoing contact between Epstein and Summers from 2017 to 2019, prompting Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to urge Harvard University to cut ties with the former Treasury Secretary.
The controversy has also reignited scrutiny of Prince Andrew, who was accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexual assault in a lawsuit settled in 2022. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) accused the former royal of “hiding” from the House Oversight Committee’s inquiry, noting Andrew has not responded to requests for a deposition. Meanwhile, Democrats like Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Tex.) have accused the Justice Department of “dragging their feet” on releasing the files, and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) predicted that Attorney General Pam Bondi might use new investigations as grounds to withhold disclosure.
Despite these tensions, the prospect of full transparency has drawn support from across the political spectrum. Former Vice President Mike Pence said he was “hopeful that the president would join those of us that have called for the full release of all the Epstein files,” emphasizing the need for justice. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) argued that releasing the files would “take that weapon out of [the Democrats’] hand,” insisting, “There’s nothing to hide.”
Yet, not all Republicans are unified. Trump’s clash with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who continued to champion the files’ release despite losing his endorsement, exposed rifts within the party. Trump dismissed her concerns for safety, saying, “I don’t think her life is in danger. Frankly, I don’t think anybody cares about her.” Greene, for her part, warned that Trump’s rhetoric could incite threats against her family, calling for an end to “toxic and dangerous rhetoric.”
Meanwhile, the bill’s path through the Senate remains uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has not yet decided whether to schedule a vote, though the measure is expected to pass the House with overwhelming support. As Newsweek notes, the debate has become a litmus test for transparency in government, with advocates arguing that only full disclosure will satisfy the public’s demand for accountability in one of the most notorious scandals of the century.
With the House vote imminent and survivors preparing to join lawmakers for a press conference, the nation waits to see whether the secrets of Jeffrey Epstein’s network will finally be brought into the light, or if new obstacles will emerge in the halls of power.
