The Epstein Files saga has dominated much of the news coverage for months now, but on Tuesday, the House of Representatives held a key vote to finally release them. The vote wasn’t close, with only one “nay” tallied:

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The House on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill directing the Department of Justice to release the files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a move that came after months of intense opposition from President Trump and GOP leaders.

The vote was a lopsided 427-1, with Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) casting the lone “no” vote. But that tally belied the months of fierce fighting — both between the parties and within the GOP — that preceded it.

READ MORE: 'Deeply Ashamed' Former Harvard Prez Larry Summers Steps Back From Public Life Amid Epstein Revelations

Trump Calls Democrats' Bluff, Demands Republicans Release the Epstein Files

Trump had been against the release of the files, but recently changed his mind and advocated for full disclosure. The Democrats, who have been pushing the “Trump is a pedophile” storyline hard, so far have come out badly as information has dripped out. Former Harvard Professor Larry Summers stepped away from public life Monday evening after it was revealed he had carried on a years-long friendship with the convicted pedophile, even after the late financier’s proclivities had become public. Meanwhile, news broke that Democrat Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands appeared to be texting Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing.

The measure now heads to the Senate. There was plenty of back-and-forth and drama in D.C. leading up to the vote:

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Over the weekend, after it was clear many Republicans would vote for the measure, Trump abruptly reversed himself to say he supported it, writing on Truth social that “it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics.”

And while Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ended up voting for the measure as a way to show support for “maximum transparency,” he expressed reservations about the bill’s handling of sensitive information about victims and urged the Senate to amend the legislation. Democrats, Johnson argued, were “forcing a political show vote on the Epstein files.”

Republicans have long been asking, “If there is so much important information in the Epstein files, why weren’t they released when Biden was president?” It’s a good question, one we may finally be getting an answer to.

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie (K-04), one of the sponsors of the bill, celebrated on X:

My legislation with @RepRoKhanna to release the Epstein files just passed 427 to 1 !

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) Nov 17, 2025

RedState will keep you updated on this developing story.

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