Latest on Epstein Files Bill passing through the House and Senate
UPDATE (9:03 AM): The bill to compel the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is officially on its way to President Donald Trump's desk.
The Senate received the House-passed bill Wednesday morning and immediately passed it on to the president.
On Tuesday, the Senate ordered, by unanimous consent, that the measure be passed once it was received from the house.
The bill would require the attorney general to release in a "searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials" related to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
Those records would need to be released "no later than 30 days" after the law is enacted.
President Trump has said he would sign it into law.
WASHINGTON (NBC, KYMA) - The bill to compel the Justice Department to release all its records on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is poised to head to President Donald Trump's desk after sailing through the House and Senate.
President Trump says he will sign the bill into law, but there are questions about where things go from there, with the the DOJ looking into new investigations of high profile Democrats at the president's request.
Survivors of Epstein's abuse cheered the Senate passing the Epstein Files Transparent Act at a candlelight vigil.
"The power of being heard and being recognized and be validated is incredibly healing," said Annie Farmer, an Epstein survivor.
Across both chambers, only one member, a Republican, voted no after months of resistance from the president and GOP leaders who pressed for other means of transparency, arguing this bill didn't do enough to protect victims' identities and could create new victims named in the files, but cleared of any wrongdoing.
"It needed amendments. I just spoke with the President about that. We'll see what happens," said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
Trump, who, in the end, urged Republicans to pass the bill and said he would sign it, bristled at questions about why he doesn't just release the files now.
"I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert. But I guess I turned out to be right," Trump shared.
The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing tied to Epstein's crimes and survivors are underscoring their fight is not about politics.
"What we endured was real, and it has scarred lives across five presidential administrations, the truth has been buried in sealed files and hidden records for far too long," said Sharlene Rochard, another Epstein survivor.
Those files set to be released by the DOJ within 30 days of the president signing the bill into law.
Trump also asked the justice department to investigate prominent Democrats who've been linked to Epstein.
This is raising some concerns now because any active federal investigation could prompt the DOF to withhold certain documents that, if released, would jeopardize those probes.
