When it comes from the House, it will be sent to Trump for approval
The Senate on Tuesday evening agreed to fully approve the House bill that tells the Justice Department to release its Jeffrey Epstein files.
When the bill comes from the House, the Senate will mark it as passed right away and send it to President Donald Trump.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer came to the Senate floor at 5:18 p.m., only a few hours after the House strongly approved the bill, and asked that the Senate accept it as soon as the House finishes its part.
No one objected.
The Senate’s full agreement means the bill will not be changed or edited, even though House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders had been pushing for amendments.
Trump said on Monday that he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
“I’m all for it,” Trump said.
But in a post on his social media on Tuesday afternoon, he said he doesn’t care when the Senate passes the House bill — whether it’s tonight or sometime soon — and that he wants Republicans to stay focused on his priorities.
He wrote that he doesn’t want Republicans to lose focus on their “big wins,” including what he called a major bill, closed borders, no men in women’s sports, ending DEI, stopping Biden’s inflation, cutting taxes and rules, ending eight wars, rebuilding the military, gaining respect from other countries, bringing huge investments into the U.S., making the country the “hottest” in the world, and defeating Democrats on the shutdown issue.
A senior White House official later told ABC News that the bill will be signed as soon as it reaches the White House.
Trump did not have to wait for Congress — he could have ordered the release on his own.
At a vigil on Capitol Hill, a group of House Democrats and Epstein survivors cheered loudly when they heard the Senate had approved the bill without any opposition.
After New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez announced the news from the stage, the crowd clapped, smiled, and some even cried.
Democrats were seen hugging the survivors.
The bill requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all “unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein that the Justice Department has, within 30 days after the law is enacted.
If it becomes law, it could force the release of federal files on Epstein, his convicted partner Ghislaine Maxwell, and other people — including government officials — whose names appear in connection with Epstein’s crimes, civil cases, immunity deals, plea agreements, or investigations. Victims’ names and any items containing child sexual abuse material would not be released.
ABC News has not received an answer from the Justice Department about whether or how it plans to follow the bill once Trump signs it.
On Friday, Bondi said the Justice Department had started a new investigation into the files and possible links between well-known Democrats and Epstein, just hours after Trump told her to do so on Truth Social.
It is unclear if the department will use this new investigation as a reason to keep many files secret, even though the DOJ and FBI said clearly in July that they found no evidence that would support opening a case against any uncharged individuals.
Sources say it is unlikely that the Justice Department will release the full Epstein file. Any materials connected to ongoing investigations or protected by executive privilege will probably remain hidden from the public.
Earlier on Tuesday, Thune rejected the idea that the Senate would change the bill, even though Johnson wanted the Senate to do so.
“When a bill passes the House 427 to 1 and the president says he will sign it, I don’t think changing it is likely,” Thune said.
Johnson was not happy about the Senate quickly passing the Epstein files bill without adding changes.
“I just texted him, and we’re going to meet,” Johnson said about Thune. “We’ll talk about it.”
“There’s a simple way to amend the bill so we don’t cause long-term harm to the justice system, and I’m going to push for that,” Johnson said. “We’ll discuss it with our Senate colleagues.”
