The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill by near-unanimity on Tuesday to force the Department of Justice to release documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and sent it to the Senate, which must validate it before President Donald Trump can sign it into law.
The unity of Republicans in supporting the bill, after months of ignoring Democratic requests to do so, follows a reversal by Trump, who was initially opposed but then said he was willing to sign the bill.
"The question is, why don't we amend it here before we pass it?"
Some of the documents revealed in recent months related to the sex offender have increased the pressure on the president, who had a friendship with him from the late 1980s until the early 2000s.
Nevertheless, Johnson trusted that the text of the proposal would be amended when it is processed in the Senate, which could change its version and extend the time it can take effect.
The initiative, approved with 427 votes in favor and one against, was put to a vote after a group of 218 lawmakers from both parties approved a request for approval to pressure the House leadership to convene the session.
"This legislation that will be approved today is defective and must be amended.
As had warned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, the proposal had almost unanimous support, as only Republican Clay Higgins from Louisiana voted against it.
"Because the authors will not allow it," declared the House leader before the vote.
The bill requires the Department of Justice to publish "all records, documents, communications and unclassified investigative materials in its possession related to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein."
"This includes materials related to Ghislaine Maxwell, flight and travel records, and individuals named or mentioned (including government officials) in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein," the document states.
