NEW: Only One Person Votes Against The Epstein Files Release In The House

The House of Representatives delivered a stunning near-unanimous rebuke to decades of secrecy on Tuesday, voting 427–1 to force the Justice Department to release all unclassified files tied to Jeffrey Epstein. And in a vote that spanned the entire ideological spectrum — from the furthest left Democrats to the staunchest MAGA Republicans — only one member broke ranks: Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA).

Higgins, a former law enforcement officer known for his hardline approach on criminal justice, issued a lengthy statement defending his decision, insisting the bill in its current form risks harming innocent Americans caught up in the years-long investigation.

“I have been a principled ‘NO’ on this bill from the beginning,” Higgins wrote on social media Tuesday. “What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today. It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America.”

Higgins argued that releasing unclassified investigative files without stronger protections would expose “thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.” and hand those names to what he called a “rabid media.”

“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,” Higgins said.

He added that the Oversight Committee has already released more than 60,000 pages of Epstein-related material — a process he says protects victims while ensuring transparency. Higgins said he would support the bill only if the Senate amends it to strengthen privacy protections.

via X

The House vote marks a major reversal after months of internal GOP tension — tension that broke open only after President Donald Trump abruptly shifted his position.

Trump had long criticized the effort as a “Democrat hoax,” but late Sunday he changed course, posting: “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide.”

That reversal paved the way for a bipartisan surge led by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). A discharge petition signed by 218 members forced Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) — who had previously denounced the bill as a “political stunt” — to allow the vote. Johnson ultimately joined nearly the entire House in supporting the measure.

“None of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” Johnson said, even as he acknowledged deep concerns about the bill’s flaws.

Ahead of the vote, Epstein survivors gathered outside the Capitol holding childhood photos and urging lawmakers to stop delaying disclosure. “It’s disrespectful to survivors if they delay,” Massie said.

“The American people have waited long enough,” Sen. Chuck Schumer said. “They want to see what’s in it.”

Even if the bill reaches Trump’s desk — and he says he will sign it — the real fight may come afterward, with questions about how aggressively the Justice Department will comply.

As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene put it: “The real test will be, will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations?”