How the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed: the discharge petition, Trump's reversal, and the 427-1 vote (July-Nov. 2025) Case Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) forced a House vote on releasing the Epstein files through a discharge petition that took about four months to reach 218 signatures. After months of opposing it, Trump endorsed the bill days before the vote; the House passed it 427-1 on Nov. 18, 2025, the Senate cleared it the same day by unanimous consent, and Trump said on Nov. 19 that he had signed it. The law requires DOJ to release its unclassified Epstein records within 30 days. The discharge petition Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) led a bipartisan discharge petition, which forces a floor vote without leadership or committee approval once a majority of House members sign; Rep. Adelita Grijalva's signature was the 218th the week before the vote, and Massie said it took four months to force the vote. Democrats said the seven-week delay in swearing in Grijalva after her election was a stall tactic; Speaker Mike Johnson rejected that claim. Trump's reversal For months Trump opposed the measure and attacked Republicans who pushed it, including Reps. Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The weekend before the vote Trump endorsed the bill and urged Republicans to approve it; the next day he said he would sign it if the Senate passed it, while calling the issue a 'hoax' and noting he does not need legislation to release the files. The votes and signing (Nov. 18-19, 2025) On Nov. 18, 2025 the House passed the bill 427-1; Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) cast the lone no vote, arguing it 'abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure' and could harm witnesses and innocent people. Less than three hours later the Senate cleared the bill without a formal vote after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer moved by unanimous consent to deem it passed once received and no senator objected. On Nov. 19, 2025 Trump announced on Truth Social, 'I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!' and suggested the release could expose Democrats with links to Epstein. The law requires the Justice Department to release its files within 30 days and covers DOJ and FBI unclassified records, communications and investigative materials related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Research notes Open leads: (1) Get the primary texts: Public Law 119-38 (already cited in the DOJ entry), the House roll call and the discharge petition record from Congress.gov. (2) NPR and CBS pages were summarized by search tools; confirm exact quotes before publishing. (3) Why Trump reversed is reported and disputed; see the Feb. 2026 Yahoo piece 'How the Trump team keeps making its Epstein problem worse', which says the change in tune coincided with Trump being told his name appeared in the files, and read it before using. (4) A newer Massie-Khanna push for another vote (reported Oct. 2026) is unverified; check Congress.gov. (5) Link to the DOJ/FBI handling entry for what happened after passage. Note Trump called the issue a 'hoax' even as he endorsed and signed the bill, and DOJ's compliance with the law has been contested in court. Sources [1] NPR — House and Senate both approve releasing the Epstein files by a near unanimous margin (https://www.npr.org/2025/11/18/nx-s1-5611438/epstein-files-bill-house-vote) · 2025-11-18 [2] CBS News — Trump signs bill to release Epstein files after it passed House and Senate with overwhelming support (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-signed-epstein-files-bill/) · 2025-11-19 Connections Cause and effect — DOJ/FBI handling of the Epstein files The Act's passage created the legal duty whose compliance the DOJ/FBI entry and the Phang v. Blanche litigation examine.