The US Congress voted on whether or not the trove of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein should be published. While the measure passed almost unanimously, one Republican congressman dissented, prompting speculation about whether he was named in the files.
In a vote of 427-1, both the House and the Senate approved the measure that would compel the Justice Department and other related federal agencies to publicise the Epstein files. The measure passed both chambers on Tuesday, passing the House first and the Senate three hours later. In the Senate, the chamber approved the measure without the need for a formal vote.
The move came after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offered to pass the legislation by unanimous consent upon its arrival from the House.
The Lone 'No' Vote
Only one lawmaker voted against publicising the Epstein files: Louisiana Republican Representative Clay Higgins. Mr Higgins explained that he voted against releasing the files as it could compromise sensitive law enforcement information. The Louisiana Republican also argued that unredacted disclosures could do more harm to the victims, ongoing investigations, undercover officers, and operational details.
Mr Higgins said the releasing of the files must be done 'in a controlled way' rather than by a broad mandate.
Because Mr Higgins's was the only dissenting vote, it was soon subject to speculation online. Some saw it as suspicious or self-serving, while others speculated in viral posts that Mr Higgins may be implicated in the files. Mr Higgins has a history of voting against broadly supported bills that he views as an expansion of federal authority or endanger security protocols.
The Republican representative has also responded to the backlash caused by his vote, defending his stance on protecting law enforcement processes. While denying having any connection to Epstein, Mr Higgins also criticised the public's reaction as 'uninformed' while clarifying that he supports 'targeted transparency' rather than mass releases that could expose victims or sensitive details about investigations.
Republican Lawmakers Divided Over Issue
The Epstein files and whether to release them have long divided members of the Republican Party before the votes. Yet the bipartisan effort was seen as a victory for Republicans who were willing to go against Mr Trump. Members of the party who supported the release said they needed to make good on their campaign promise to do so.
Mr Trump and Republican leadership had fought to block the measure from reaching the House floor for a vote. Last week, the White House held a meeting with Representative Lauren Boebert about her support for releasing the files, yet her position remained unchanged. Mr Trump eventually relented by allowing the measure to move forward with the vote.
Ahead of the vote, Representative Thomas Massie, who led the bipartisan effort alongside Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, said he was confident they had the votes to move the measure forward.
'We fought the president, the attorney general, the FBI director, the Speaker of the House and the Vice President to get this win,' said Massie. 'They're on our side today...they are finally on the side of justice'.
