WASHINGTON—The Senate unanimously approved a bill on Nov. 18 to require the Department of Justice to release more files surrounding the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The bill will go to President Donald Trump for his signature as the House passed the bill earlier in the day, 427-1.
The legislation would prohibit the Justice Department from withholding, delaying, or redacting records for reputational and political reasons.
However, the department would be allowed to withhold records that identify the victims; consist of child sexual abuse material; jeopardize an ongoing federal investigation or prosecution; or depict images of death, physical abuse, or injury of any person.
Under the bill, all redactions would have to be accompanied by a written explanation published in the Federal Register and submitted to Congress.
Additionally, the measure would require the attorney general, within 15 days of releasing the files, to submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees listing all categories of records released and withheld; a summary of redactions made, including the legal basis; and a list of all government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials, without redactions.
Trump urged Republicans ahead of the vote to support the bill.
The president has said he would sign the bill if it comes to his desk.
“We have nothing to do with Epstein. The Democrats do. All of his friends were Democrats,” he said in the Oval Office on Nov. 17.
“All I want is for people to recognize a great job that I’ve done on pricing, on affordability, because we brought prices way down, but they go way lower,” he continued. “On energy, on ending eight wars, and another one coming pretty soon, I believe. We’ve done a great job, and I hate to see that deflect from the great job we’ve done. So I’m all for it.”
At a press conference before the House vote, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he supported the bill but warned that it would inadequately protect the victims and other innocent parties.
“I’m going to vote to move this forward. I think it could be close to a unanimous vote, because everybody here, all the Republicans, want to go on record to show your maximum transparency,” he said. “But they also want to know that we’re demanding that this stuff get corrected.”
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said that the bill is needed.
“At the end of the day, this is not about us and it’s not about politics,” he said. “This is about the survivors. Young girls who were exploited by powerful men. Men who used money and power to take advantage of girls, some as young as 11 years old.”
