1h ago
19.45 GMT
US House
approves bill to force release of Epstein files in near-unanimous vote
The US
House overwhelmingly approved a bill demanding that the Justice Department
release all files related to its investigation into the convicted sex offender,
Jeffrey Epstein. The finally tally was 427-1, with five members not voting.
Cheers
rang out in the chamber, when the gavel banged the vote closed.
Congressman
Clay Higgins of Louisiana, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, was the sole House
member to vote against the measure.
The
near-unanimous vote was the culmination of a months-long effort led by a
bipartisan group of House members that initially faced deep opposition from the
president and House leadership. But as it became clear the Speaker’s
manoeuvring to prevent a vote on the petition would not succeed, Trump reversed
course and threw his support behind the effort.
The bill
next moves to the Senate. If it is approved by the upper chamber, it would then
go to Trump for his signature. Trump told reporters on Monday he would sign the
legislation if it reached his desk – still an if.
Democrats,
as well as the bill’s bipartisan sponsors, have called on Trump not to wait for
Congress to act and instead to order the Justice Department to release the
files, which he has the power to do.
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