By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN
Jeffrey Epstein pictured in 2004. Photo: Getty Images / Rick Friedman
Months after it was first introduced, a bill directing the US Department of Justice to publicly release all its Jeffrey Epstein-related files passed the House on Tuesday (US time).
Although the measure passed with near-unanimous support ([https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/579311/clay-higgins-the-sole-republican-who-voted-no-to-releasing-the-epstein-files 427 votes to one)], it still has to pass a few hurdles before it becomes law and the files are ultimately released.
Here's what could be next for the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The bill's possible path in the Senate
The legislation now moves to the Republican-led Senate, where its once-uncertain path now seems clearer.
Senate Republican leader John Thune said he expects his chamber to take the measure up "fairly quickly" - perhaps even later on Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he would move to pass the bill by unanimous consent later on Tuesday, and Thune acknowledged that could be successful.
"It's the kind of thing, probably, that could perhaps move by unanimous consent," Thune said.
And it's not likely the Senate will make any changes, despite House Speaker Mike Johnson's public request that the chamber do so.
"I think, when a bill comes out of the House 427 to 1, and the president has said he's going to sign it, I'm not sure that amending it is, is in the cards," Thune said.
It's not yet clear how many Republican senators are willing to vote for the bill - a similar measure led by Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley doesn't have any Republican co-sponsors - but momentum is now fully behind it and Thune said his team was "hotlining" it.
Johnson had previously told reporters he was "very confident" the Senate would methodically consider the bill and amend it to better protect people's privacy. If the Senate were to make changes and pass the legislation by a simple majority, the House would then need to vote again on the Senate-amended version.
But Republican Representative Thomas Massie, the bill's main sponsor, argued that any such change could be "just another delay tactic", and that he felt its privacy protections were adequate as-is.
US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia speaks during a press conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. Photo: AFP / Daniel Heuer
If the bill passes the Senate
A Senate-passed bill without changes would go to President Donald Trump's desk for his approval.
If the Senate were to amend it, the bill would moves to Trump's desk after the Senate version was again passed by the House.
Trump has said he will sign the bill into law. But he could also change his mind and choose to veto the bill, which would then require a two-thirds vote to override the president's veto. He could also decide not to act on the bill, allowing it to become law without his signature.
Even if the the bill becomes law, some lawmakers - like Republican Representaive Marjorie Taylor Greene, who long backed the measure - have questioned whether the Department of Justice would release the files or if the information would remain tied up in ongoing investigations.
The White House has not directed the department to do so, according to an official familiar with the matter. But generally, the department resists giving Congress files during an ongoing criminal investigation because any public release could jeopardise the integrity of the probe or any resulting criminal case. And it's unclear how the agency might respond if the measure was passed by Congress and signed into law.
-CNN
