2:45Senate Majority Leader John Thune confers with journalists following the Senate’s endorsement of the House resolution compelling the disclosure of Justice Department documents pertaining to the deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Nov. 18, 2025.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Senate consented to endorse the House measure that mandates the Justice Department to make public its Jeffrey Epstein files.
Upon its arrival from the House, the bill will be regarded as immediately ratified by the Senate and forwarded to President Donald Trump's office.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed the chamber at 5:18 p.m., mere hours following the House’s overwhelming passage of the bill, requesting its immediate passage by the Senate upon processing by the House.
There were no objections.
The Senate’s unanimous action signifies that the bill will undergo no revisions or alterations, as House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of his Republican leadership team had been advocating.
Following the determination, Johnson informed reporters on Tuesday night that he is “deeply disappointed” that the Senate ratified the Epstein files disclosure bill without implementing any changes.
“I was informed that Chuck Schumer expedited its consideration and prematurely introduced it. It necessitated amendments,” he stated.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks with reporters after the Senate approved the House resolution to force the release of Justice Department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Nov. 18, 2025.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Trump stated on Monday that he would sign the bill should it arrive at his desk.
"I am completely in favor of it," Trump remarked.
However, in a post on his social media platform on Tuesday afternoon, the president expressed that he doesn’t "care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future," and that he desires Republicans to maintain concentration on his agenda.
"I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had, including THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, Closed Borders, No Men in Women’s Sports or Transgender for Everyone, ending DEI, stopping Biden’s Record Setting Inflation, Biggest Tax and Regulation Cuts in History, stopping EIGHT Wars, rebuilding our Military, being RESPECTED by every Country in the World, having Trillions of Dollars INVESTED in the U.S.A., having created the “HOTTEST” Country anywhere in the World, and even delivering a HUGE DEFEAT to the Democrats on the Shutdown," Trump conveyed in his post.
Subsequently, a senior White House official communicated to ABC News that the bill will "be signed whenever it gets to the White House."
Trump was not obligated to await congressional action, as he possessed the authority to immediately mandate the release.
At a vigil on Capitol Hill, a coalition of House Democrats and Epstein survivors erupted in exuberant cheers upon hearing the news that the Senate had unanimously sanctioned the bill.
Following New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez’s announcement from the podium, the group burst into animated cheers, applause, and smiles, with some becoming emotional.
Democrats were seen embracing the survivors.
The measure obliges Attorney General Pam Bondi to render accessible all "unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials" within the Department of Justice’s jurisdiction pertaining to Epstein within 30 days of its enactment.
Should the legislation be enacted into law, it could compel the disclosure of federal records concerning Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other individuals, encompassing government personnel, identified or alluded to in conjunction with Epstein’s "criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings," according to the legislative text. The identities of victims and other identifying information would be excluded from disclosure, as would any items potentially depicting or containing child sexual abuse material, according to the wording of the House-passed bill.
ABC News has yet to obtain a response from the Justice Department regarding inquiries concerning whether and how it intends to adhere to the bill once it has been signed by Trump.
On Friday, Bondi proclaimed that the Justice Department was initiating a reinvigorated probe into the files and prospective connections between prominent Democrats and Epstein, shortly after Trump instructed her to do so on his Truth Social account.
It remains uncertain whether the department will seek to invoke that announcement as exempting a significant portion of the files from public release due to their pertinence to the novel investigation, despite the DOJ and FBI unequivocally asserting in a July statement that a review of the files revealed no evidence that would substantiate a predicated inquiry against any uncharged individuals.
According to sources, it is improbable that the Justice Department would release the entirety of the Epstein file. Any materials linked to ongoing investigations or White House assertions of executive privilege are likely to remain concealed from public scrutiny.
Rep. Thomas Massie speaks alongside Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene during a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol, November 18, 2025 in Washington.Heather Diehl/Getty Images
Earlier on Tuesday, Thune dismissed the notion that the Senate would modify the bill, despite Johnson’s encouragement for the Senate to do so.
"I believe when a bill emerges from the House with a vote of 427 to 1 and the president has declared his intent to sign it, I am uncertain that amending it remains a viable option," Thune stated.
Johnson did not express enthusiasm regarding the prospect of the Senate expediting the passage of the Epstein files bill in the upper chamber without implementing alterations.
"I just texted him, we're going to get together," Johnson remarked concerning Thune. "We'll discuss it."
"There exists a straightforward method to amend the legislation to ensure that we do not inflict permanent detriment upon the justice system, and I am going to insist upon it," Johnson appended. "We shall converse with our Senate counterparts."
ABC News' John Parkinson, Lauren Peller, Rebecca Gelpi, Michelle Stoddart and Alex Mallin contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
