The House has overwhelmingly passed a Bill to compel the United States Justice Department to release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, ending a months-long impasse and sending the legislation to the Senate, where pressure is growing to follow suit. 

The 427-1 vote was the remarkable culmination of a bipartisan crusade by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna that until Sunday (local time) had met fierce resistance from US President Donald Trump, who repeatedly insisted that the focus on the Epstein files was a “hoax” promoted by Democrats. 

“Because survivors spoke up, because of their courage, the truth is finally going to come out,” Khanna said at a news conference where he and other lawmakers were joined by about a dozen Epstein accusers. 

Prior to the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced he would support the Bill – though he continued to argue that there are problems with the legislation that need to be addressed in the Senate before it becomes law. 

Johnson said he has spoken to Senate Majority Leader John Thune about amending the Bill – which Johnson called a “political stunt” by Democrats – to include additional protections for victims mentioned in the files who want to remain anonymous. 

“All the Republicans want to go on record to show they’re for maximum transparency,” Johnson said. “But they also want to note that we’re demanding that this stuff get corrected before it is ever moved through the process and is completed.” 

Republicans across the ideological spectrum joined Democrats in voting for the Bill. 

Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky (centre left) during a news conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Photo / Getty Images 

As it became increasingly clear that he could lose the House vote, Trump reversed course, urging Republicans in a social media post to support the Bill. 

It which would compel officials at the Justice Department to release all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials relating to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein in its possession. 

Trump said that he would sign the Bill if it reaches his desk. 

Thune has not said publicly whether the Senate will take up the Epstein Bill. It would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the chamber. 

Supporters of the legislation are hopeful that the strong House vote will pressure the Senate to move forward. Senator Jacky Rosen, in a letter last week, urged Thune to “proceed expeditiously” once the legislation cleared the House. 

If Thune does not bring the Epstein Bill to the floor, any senator could try to pass it by unanimous consent – which would allow it to pass as long as no senator objects. 

The Justice Department has not said how it would respond to congressional requests to release the Epstein files, but Attorney-General Pam Bondi and her deputies have previously said that they cannot release materials related to ongoing investigations. 

Trump has called on the Justice Department to examine the relationships between Epstein and several prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton. Bondi quickly tapped federal prosecutors in Manhattan to take on the job. 

“The real test will be will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations?” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said at the news conference with Epstein accusers. 

The House vote is the result of a discharge petition – a mechanism by which House lawmakers can circumvent the normal legislative process to compel votes. 

The petition received the 218th signature needed to force a vote on the Epstein files last week after newly sworn-in Representative Adelita Grijalva joined the effort, which included all 214 Democrats in the chamber and four Republicans: Representatives Lauren Boebert, Nancy Mace, Massie and Greene. 

Massie and Khanna introduced the petition in July. Their press for greater transparency surrounding the Epstein case included two news conferences with Epstein’s victims, one in early September and the second one today. 

As they did in September, several of the Epstein accusers who spoke today implored the full release of the Justice Department files and insisted that it should be a non-political issue. 

This time, however, many of their remarks about Trump and his handling of the matter were much more pointed. 

Haley Robson, an accuser who said she was a Republican, accused Trump of stonewalling the release of the files. 

Trump and White House lieutenants for months tried to convince congressional Republicans to back away from the Epstein inquiry. 

In a bid to thwart a floor vote, Trump personally whipped votes against the discharge petition in both private and public, according to two people familiar with the effort who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations. 

Trump has the authority to direct the Justice Department to release the documents in its possession, as he previously has with documents related to the government investigations into the assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King jnr. 

Trump has not explained why he has not taken that step, and the White House did not respond to questions about why the release is contingent on a vote from Congress. 

Notably, the bill drew support from members of the House Freedom Caucus – staunch conservatives largely representing Trump-won districts – as well as moderates in competitive seats, many of them eager to move past the matter. Others championed the openness. 

“When it comes to the Epstein crimes, the best answer is transparency,” Representative Don Bacon said. “Putting a spotlight on all the evidence is best in the long run.” 

The House vote is one of two efforts under way to force more disclosure of the Epstein files. 

House Oversight Chair James Comer subpoenaed the Justice Department after one of the panel’s subcommittees voted to compel the department to release the files. 

Comer has since broadened his probe into Epstein’s investigation by subpoenaing Epstein’s estate in August. 

The estate’s lawyers released the “birthday book,” which featured dedications from Epstein’s high-profile associates collected and given to him by his ex-partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for sex-trafficking. 

The House released another tranche of files last week from Epstein’s estate that included additional emails mentioning Trump. 

The President has said that he knew Epstein socially in Palm Beach and that they had a falling-out in the mid-2000s. Trump’s name appears repeatedly in previously released documents from Epstein’s estate, but Trump has maintained that he had “no idea” about Epstein’s criminal behaviour, and the documents have produced no evidence of wrongdoing by Trump. 

- Kadia Goba and Amy B Wang, Washington Post

Natalie Allison, Maegan Vazquez and Perry Stein contributed to this report.