Senate passes Epstein Transparency Act after overwhelming House vote, sends bill to President Trump
After the US House of Representatives passed the Epstein Transparency Act with an overwhelming majority on Tuesday, the Senate also unanimously agreed to approve the bill requiring the Justice Department to release files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to foreign media reports.
The legislation now heads to President Donald Trump, whose signature would compel the DOJ to make the documents public.
The development comes two days after Trump reversed his stance and urged House Republicans to support the release of the Epstein files, calling the matter a “Democratic hoax” in a Truth Social post and insisting his administration has nothing to hide.
Senate moves quickly, approves bill without objection
The House passed the measure with a 427–1 vote, sending it to the Senate, which unanimously adopted the bill, clearing the final congressional hurdle before it reaches the president.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer appealed to senators to approve the House-passed bill to release the Epstein files, and no senator objected—meaning the chamber adopted it unanimously with no further action required. The legislation will be forwarded to President Trump’s desk as soon as it arrives from the House.
The Senate’s approval ensures the bill will now go directly to Trump for his signature. Earlier on Tuesday, the House passed the bipartisan bill with overwhelming support, requiring the Department of Justice to release all case files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Only Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana voted against the measure. Lawmakers from both parties said the bill is necessary to ensure transparency and provide justice for Epstein’s abuse survivors.
Republican Representatives Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene held a press conference urging colleagues to support the bill. During the briefing, several survivors of Epstein’s abuse spoke publicly, underscoring the urgency of disclosing the files, foreign media reported.
Trump has also urged House Republicans to back the legislation. In a rare reversal, he publicly called on Congress to pass it and pledged to sign it into law once it reaches his desk, according to foreign media.
Democrats question delay by Trump
However, Democratic Representative Robert Garcia criticised the Trump administration for not releasing the files earlier, noting that the president already has the authority to do so. “I want to remind the president as well that he has the power to release the files today. He has the power to release the files without a vote,” Garcia said at the press conference, as quoted by foreign media.
On Monday, former US Treasury Secretary and former Harvard president Larry Summers announced he would step back from public commitments after emails revealed he maintained friendly ties with Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution in 2008. Summers said he felt “deeply ashamed” and accepted “full responsibility” for what he called a “misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
Last week, the House Oversight Committee released thousands of pages of emails from the Epstein estate. Democrats published three messages, including a 2011 email in which Epstein wrote to Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump “spent hours” with one of the victims.
Republicans accused Democrats of selective disclosure and released more than 23,000 additional pages. The White House dismissed the relevance of the material, stating the emails “prove literally nothing.”Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein’s activities.
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