Trump-Epstein photo pinned to House Oversight Committee X account
The Democratic-led House Oversight Committee, after releasing thousands of Epstein-related files, has pinned a 1997 photo of Trump with Epstein atop its X account.
House Speaker Johnson says he still wants to see changes to Epstein bill
The Republican says he will “insist” that the Senate make changes to the bill before passing it, despite voting for it.
Johnson, an ally of Donald Trump’s, has said repeatedly that he wants provisions in the bill. He has also taken extensive measures to stall the vote on the bill before it finally passed today.
“There’s an easy way to amend the legislation to make sure that we don’t do permanent damage to the justice system, and I’m going to insist upon that,” he told reporters.
47m ago (21:45 GMT)
Explainer
Senate Democrats say they will offer Epstein bill under unanimous consent, but what is it?
The Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, says he will offer up the bill just passed in the House, ordering the Justice Department to release more files pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein.
“We have an opportunity to get this bill done today and have it, have it on the president’s desk to be signed into law tonight. We should seize that opportunity,” Schumer said. “That is why later today I will ask unanimous consent for the Senate to hold a vote to pass the House Epstein bill, the Epstein victims’ bill.”
But what is unanimous consent?
In the Senate, unanimous consent is a procedural agreement allowing the chamber to expedite business without a formal vote. If no senator objects, a proposal—such as passing a bill, approving an amendment, or setting debate limits—takes effect immediately.
This mechanism is useful for managing the Senate’s workload, where formal rules could slow proceedings. Senators can block unanimous consent by simply stating an objection.
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1h ago (21:30 GMT)
Epstein bill could pass Senate by unanimous consent: Majority leader
Republican Senator Thune, the majority leader of the body, has said the Senate will try to pass the Epstein bill quickly and send it to Trump for his signature.
He said the resolution could pass his chamber by unanimous consent, possibly later today.
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1h ago (21:15 GMT)
After Trump ordered probe into Democrats with ties to Epstein, files could be held
By Patty Culhane
Reporting from Washington, DC
The bill is now going to be forwarded to the Senate because there will be a tremendous amount of political pressure to do that.
Does that mean we’re going to see who Epstein associated with? Not necessarily because although Donald Trump could actually just release the files right now, he has also ordered an investigation into Democrats who associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
And in the past, the Justice Department said we can’t release any information if it’s part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Even Republicans on the Hill seemed to indicate that they think that might be the direction the Trump administration is going to go, and they’re urging them not to.
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1h ago (21:00 GMT)
House Democrats say Epstein files bill is ‘one step closer to the truth’
Getting this bill to the floor and securing strong Republican backing represents a notable achievement for House Democrats.
In a post on X, the account posting on their behalf said: “For nearly a year, Trump and Republicans tried to hide the files, but we’re now one step closer to the truth.”
1h ago (20:45 GMT)
Lone ‘Nay’ vote: Higgins criticizes Epstein files legislation for privacy risks
Clay Higgins, the lone House member to vote against the measure requiring the release of Jeffrey Epstein files, defended his decision, restating his “principled ‘NO’ from the beginning.”
In a post on X, he said the bill, as written, “abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure” and could harm innocent witnesses, alibi providers and family members if released to the media.
Higgins pointed to the ongoing Oversight Committee investigation, which has already published more than 60,000 pages, and said he would support a Senate-amended version that safeguards privacy.
2h ago (20:30 GMT)
Some more reactions from US politicians on the passing of the Epstein bill
Members of Congress who voted for the bill have been posting on X.
Bill Foster, a Democratic congressman from Illinois, welcomed the measure, saying, “No one, no matter how wealthy or powerful, is above the law.” Oregon Democrat Representative Janelle Bynum added, “The American people deserve transparency, and the survivors deserve justice.”
California Democrat John Garamendi also welcomed the bill but called on former President Trump to order the Department of Justice to release the files. That view was echoed by Democrat Pramila Jayapal, who wrote on X: “Release the damn files NOW!!”
Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa described the House passage as “an important step toward ensuring every victim is heard, every predator is exposed.”
As attention turns to the Senate, which must hold its own debate before Trump can sign the measure into law, Senate Democrats posted on X: “Leader Thune should do the right thing and allow the Senate to vote to release the Epstein files immediately.”
Patty Murray, a Democrat senator said: “The Senate should vote to release the Epstein files ASAP. This is long overdue.”
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2h ago (20:15 GMT)
WATCH: Survivors denounce Trump’s former attempts to block Epstein files vote
US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse sharply criticised President Donald Trump for previously attempting to block a House vote on the release of files related to Epstein.Trump on Sunday dropped his opposition to the now-passed bill.
