The House of Representatives held its long-awaited vote on a measure to release the federal government’s files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein with the chamber voting 427 to 1 in favor of publicizing the documents. In the lead-up to the vote, President Donald Trump reportedly worked behind the scenes to try to pressure Republicans against forcing a vote on the files’ release. But then Trump, who has long denounced the looming questions about his former friendship with Epstein as a “hoax” made a sudden and public reversal and began urging members of his party to support the measure. Here’s how the day unfolded on Capitol Hill.

From NBC News:

JUST IN: Majority Leader Thune said the Senate is “hotlining” (the process by which they see how Senators would vote) on the Epstein resolution and a vote should happen this week maybe even today.

In a social-media video, Schumer said he was heading to the Senate floor “to demand that the Republicans release the Epstein files immediately.”

“The American people have waited long enough and Republicans should not delay,” he said.

Thune signaled to reporters that the Epstein-files bill will likely move quickly through the Senate. ““Well, my assumption is that the President sounds like he’s prepared to sign it. So I assume it’ll move fairly quickly over here,” he said, per NBC News.

Given the bill’s strong support in the House, Thune said that amendments are “not likely to happen.”

Bill to release the Epstein files passes the House 427 to 1

On social media:

I have been a principled “NO” on this bill from the beginning. What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today. It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America. As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc. If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt. Not by my vote. The Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation that has already released well over 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case. That effort will continue in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans. If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House.

The Epstein files bill was officially passed by the House by a 427 to 1 vote. The measure now heads to the Senate.

So far, the bill has received only one “no” vote, cast by Republican congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana.

The House is officially voting on whether to release the federal government’s files on Epstein.

The House will be voting on the legislation “under suspension of the........

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