Congress is set to finally take a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files following months of political contention. The House of Representatives’ vote on Tuesday, Nov. 18, is a first step toward a possible conclusion in the saga that has plagued President Donald Trump’s second term so far.
Under the bill, the Department of Justice would be compelled to release as much information as legally possible about the federal government’s investigations into the late disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in April 2019.
After initially opposing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, Trump urged House GOP lawmakers over the weekend to support the bill.
If the bill passes the House, it will go to the Senate, where it will also need to pass. Once both chambers of Congress pass the bill, it will go to Trump to be signed into law. Trump has the power to veto the legislation if he chooses – and that would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers to overturn the president’s veto. However, on Monday, Nov. 17, Trump indicated he’d sign the legislation if it passes both chambers of Congress.
Watch the House of Representatives vote on the Epstein files in the video at the top of this story.
Live updates: Congress to vote on releasing more Epstein files
Epstein abuse survivor Danielle Bensky holds up a photo of her younger self during a news conference with lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House is expected to vote today on the legislation, which instructs the U.S. Department of Justice to release all files related to the late accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
When will the House vote on releasing Epstein files?
The House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act is expected to begin on Tuesday, Nov. 18 around 2 p.m. ET, according to an update from Rep. Katherine Clark, the minority whip.
Watch the House vote on Epstein files bill live
USA TODAY will be streaming the vote live. Watch it at the top of this story or on USA TODAY’s YouTube channel.
Contributing: Melina Khan / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch livestream of House vote to release Epstein files
