In a bold move last July, a small bipartisan coalition of House members introduced a petition to circumvent House Speaker Mike Johnson’s control over the legislative agenda, allowing this bill to reach the House floor. Initially, the effort seemed unlikely to succeed, especially as former President Donald Trump dismissed the initiative as a “hoax” and urged his followers to ignore it. Despite these challenges, both Trump and Speaker Johnson have been unsuccessful in stopping the bill from advancing to a vote.

In a surprising turn of events, President Trump has recently shifted his stance, encouraging Republicans to support the legislation. This endorsement significantly raises the bill’s chances of passing in the House with a robust majority, thereby increasing the pressure on the Senate to address the issue.

While the anticipated House vote marks a significant step forward, it alone will not mandate the release of the Justice Department’s Epstein files. For that to happen, the bill also needs to clear the Senate, where Republican leadership has yet to reveal its strategy for handling the legislation. The outcome in the Senate remains uncertain, underscoring the complexity and political intrigue surrounding the Epstein case.

The House vote on its own won’t force the release of the Justice Department’s Epstein files. The bill also needs to pass the Republican-controlled Senate and it’s not clear how their leadership plans to handle it. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has previously been circumspect when asked about the legislation, instead saying he trusted the Justice Department to release information on the Epstein investigation.

But what the Justice Department has released so far under Trump was mostly already public.  The bill would go further, forcing the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted, but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

Trump on Monday said he would sign the bill if it passes both chambers of Congress, adding, “Let the Senate look at it.”

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