House approves release of Jeffrey Epstein files

In an act of transparency, the House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday that forces the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make public all documents related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The move, reached after months of high internal tensions and shifting positions, represents a possible turning point in one of the darkest cases of recent decades.

The text, dubbed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, won almost unanimous support: 427 votes in favor and only one against, cast by Republican Representative Clay Higgins, of Louisiana.

This result contrasts with the stiff opposition the initiative had faced for weeks from the White House and Republican leadership, who considered it unnecessary because of a parallel Oversight Committee investigation.

The surprising twist came over the weekend, when President Donald Trump, who had previously tried to downplay the Epstein affair, suddenly announced his endorsement via Truth Social.

In a message to Republican lawmakers, Trump said the time had come to "move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics." On Monday, he reiterated that he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

For his part, House Speaker and Republican Mike Johnson, also of Louisiana, ended up voting for it as a gesture of support for "maximum transparency." However, he expressed serious reservations about the bill's treatment of sensitive victim information and called on the Senate to make corrections. "Democrats are forcing a political show vote on the Epstein files" Johnson declared, according to a report from The Hill.

The process leading up to the vote

The passage was made possible by a bipartisan maneuver pushed by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who filed a recall petition to bypass the Republican leadership's blockade and bring the text directly to the floor. The initiative quickly gathered the required 218 signatures, with the support of all Democrats and several Republicans.

Epstein victims celebrate decision

In front of the Capitol, dozens of Epstein survivors rallied early in the morning to demand the release of the documents. When the outcome was announced, they erupted in applause and hugs in the House gallery.

The approved bill will now move on to the Senate.