[Pages H4725-H4730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

EPSTEIN FILES TRANSPARENCY ACT

Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4405) to require the Attorney General to release all
documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice
relating to Jeffrey Epstein, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 4405

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Epstein Files Transparency
Act''.

SEC. 2. RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN.

(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall, subject to
subsection (b), make publicly available in a searchable and
downloadable format all unclassified records, documents,
communications, and investigative materials in the possession
of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and United States Attorneys' Offices, that
relate to:
(1) Jeffrey Epstein including all investigations,
prosecutions, or custodial matters.
(2) Ghislaine Maxwell.
(3) Flight logs or travel records, including but not
limited to manifests, itineraries, pilot records, and customs
or immigration documentation, for any aircraft, vessel, or
vehicle owned, operated, or used by Jeffrey Epstein or any
related entity.
(4) Individuals, including government officials, named or
referenced in connection with Epstein's criminal activities,
civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or
investigatory proceedings.
(5) Entities (corporate, nonprofit, academic, or
governmental) with known or alleged ties to Epstein's
trafficking or financial networks.
(6) Any immunity deals, non-prosecution agreements, plea
bargains, or sealed settlements involving Epstein or his
associates.
(7) Internal DOJ communications, including emails, memos,
meeting notes, concerning decisions to charge, not charge,
investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his
associates.
(8) All communications, memoranda, directives, logs, or
metadata concerning the destruction, deletion, alteration,
misplacement, or concealment of documents, recordings, or
electronic data related to Epstein, his associates, his
detention and death, or any investigative files.
(9) Documentation of Epstein's detention or death,
including incident reports, witness interviews, medical
examiner files, autopsy reports, and written records
detailing the circumstances and cause of death.
(b) Prohibited Grounds for Withholding.--
(1) No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on
the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political
sensitivity, including to any government official, public
figure, or foreign dignitary.
(c) Permitted Withholdings.--
(1) The Attorney general may withhold or redact the
segregable portions of records that--
(A) contain personally identifiable information of victims
or victims' personal and medical files and similar files the
disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy;
(B) depict or contain child sexual abuse materials (CSAM)
as defined under 18 U.S.C. 2256 and prohibited under 18
U.S.C. 2252-2252A;
(C) would jeopardize an active federal investigation or
ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is
narrowly tailored and temporary;
(D) depict or contain images of death, physical abuse, or
injury of any person; or
(E) contain information specifically authorized under
criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret
in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and are
in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order.
(2) All redactions must be accompanied by a written
justification published in the Federal Register and submitted
to Congress.
(3) To the extent that any covered information would
otherwise be redacted or withheld as classified information
under this section, the Attorney General shall declassify
that classified information to the maximum extent possible.
(A) If the Attorney General makes a determination that
covered information may not be declassified and made
available in a manner that protects the national security of
the United States, including methods or sources related to
national security, the Attorney General shall release an
unclassified summary for each of the redacted or withheld
classified information.
(4) All decisions to classify any covered information after
July 1, 2025 shall be published in the Federal Register and
submitted to Congress, including the date of classification,
the identity of the classifying authority, and an
unclassified summary of the justification.

SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

Within 15 days of completion of the release required under
Section 2, the Attorney General shall submit to the House and
Senate Committees on the Judiciary a report listing:
(1) All categories of records released and withheld.
(2) A summary of redactions made, including legal basis.
(3) A list of all government officials and politically
exposed persons named or referenced in the released
materials, with no redactions permitted under subsection
(b)(1).

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Jordan) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.

General Leave

Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 4405.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we all support holding bad guys accountable, and we are
all going to vote for this resolution, but I think a little perspective
is important.
Democrats have spent 6 months talking about Epstein, even though they
had 4 years to do something about it.
Mr. Speaker, why would they do that? Why would they do that? Maybe

[[Page H4726]]

it is to go after President Trump. Never forget that they shut down the
government for 43 days. They said: Don't worry about our military.
Don't worry about air traffic controllers. Don't worry about our
economy. Don't worry about American families. No, no, no. Close the
government for 1\1/2\ months because it might hurt the President.

{time} 1320

For the past decade, there has been one constant for Democrats: Go
after Trump.
They spied on his campaign. Then it was Mueller. Then it was
impeachment one. Then it was impeachment two. Then it was all the
lawfare: Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, Letitia James. Then it was the
Arctic Frost investigation at the Justice Department, surveilling
United States Senators and Congressmen and a whole host of other
Americans. Then it was Jack Smith and his gag orders and his raiding
President Trump's home. Then it was a 43-day shutdown. Now it is
Epstein.
By the way, the same party that did all that, they were also the ones
who were texting with Mr. Epstein during a hearing where Michael Cohen
was their witness in another effort to go after the President.
Americans see through it all and, frankly, it is actually kind of
sad. This obsession, this syndrome, this mindset that says, we have to
go after President Trump no matter what that they have.
Actually, when I think about it, I think it is because President
Trump and Republicans have accomplished so much that they told the
voters they were going to accomplish in the 2024 election. We are
actually doing what we said we are going to do.
President Trump said he was going to cut taxes, and he did. President
Trump said he would secure the border, and he did. President Trump said
he would get men out of women's sports, and he did. President Trump
said he would make sure Iran doesn't have nuclear capability, and he
did. President Trump said he would get the hostages out of Gaza and
back into Israel, and he did. He did this all in 9 months. I don't know
what causes this mindset, this syndrome that the left has, but I know
one thing: It is real.
Which brings me to last week.
Let's think about what the Democrats did last week. The Democrats
released an email that the Oversight Committee had obtained from the
estate, an email from Mr. Epstein to Ms. Maxwell. When the Democrats
released it, they redacted the victim's name. That is something we all
support, something everyone supports, except in this case, no court had
ordered that name redacted. No agency had redacted it. The estate
didn't redact it. The victim had already went public, so why black out
a name? Why black out a name? Mr. Speaker, because she had said in her
book and had testified under oath that she never saw any wrongdoing by
President Trump.
Let's think about what they did. In an email between two criminals,
Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, they hide the name of an individual who
had went public and exonerated the President, and we know why: to
distort and twist the message because they thought it might harm the
President.
Their position: Cover up the names of people who are already public,
but don't worry about other innocent people who the court said should
remain private.
Again, I think the American people see through it. They see through
what the Democrats are doing. The American people know what this is.
They know Democrats have nothing else to run on because of the success
of this administration.
Mr. Speaker, I say let's vote ``yes'' on this resolution, and then
let's get focused on making sure we are doing what the American
families elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today, 4 months and 3 days after Mr. Khanna and Mr.
Massie introduced their discharge petition, perhaps the most famous
discharge petition in American history, the people's House unites
across party lines to draw a moral line. We draw a line against the
rape and sexual violation of children. We draw a line against the
global criminal trafficking of girls and young women to service the
pleasure of rich and powerful men who believe they are beyond all law
and all morality. We draw a line to put the voices of the victims and
the survivors first.
We ask the Senate to join us without changes rather than obstruct
this bill with dilatory amendments, legislative graffiti, and self-
dealing, million-dollar jackpot provisions for lucky Senators.
Just pass the bill.
We are finally voting today because a bipartisan discharge petition,
led by Representatives Massie and Khanna and signed by 218 of us,
overthrew the determined obstruction of the Speaker. This forced vote
means the House will no longer acquiesce in this astonishing real-time
coverup of a multibillion-dollar global sex trafficking and child rape
ring that has ravaged the lives of more than a thousand girls and young
women.
We are here today because these victims, these survivors, these
citizens, these inspiring women who have come to Washington are
demanding nothing less than justice and the complete truth about who is
responsible for their vicious abuse, including those responsible for
enabling it, ignoring it, bankrolling it, and covering it up.
We join them today in rejecting any more dangerous lies about the
crimes they suffered. No, child sex abuse is not a hoax. It is a crime.
Human trafficking is not a hoax. It is a crime.
These crimes are a curse on children and young people across America,
in universities and elementary schools, in churches and mosques and
synagogues, in Boy Scout troops and college sports teams, in summer
camps, anywhere the powerful and the rich believe they have the
opportunity and the impunity to exploit the young, the poor, the
powerless, and the vulnerable.
We must face the truth and find the coconspirators still at large in
one of America's most extensive and sophisticated sex trafficking and
child abuse rings in history.
Release of the file will expose the role of everybody who facilitated
and covered up these crimes like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America,
Deutsche Bank, and Bank of New York Mellon, which executed billions of
dollars in transactions related to these offenses, as well as any bank
executives who participated in the sexual abuse of girls and young
women.

We must expose everyone who covered up these crimes like Alex Acosta,
the former U.S. attorney in Miami, Donald Trump's Labor Secretary, who
gave Jeffrey Epstein an unbelievable sweetheart plea deal, immunized
unnamed conspirators, and killed an investigation into Epstein's
financial crimes that could have brought down the entire criminal
network.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Comer), the distinguished chair of the House Oversight
Committee.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House Oversight Committee,
I have always believed that sunshine is the best disinfectant. For
years, the American people have demanded transparency about Jeffrey
Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's horrific crimes and about the Federal
Government's failure to protect the victims.
The House Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough review of the
Federal Government's investigation into Epstein. Our work goes far
beyond the legislation before us today. We are committed to
accountability, transparency, and justice for the American people and
for the survivors of these appalling crimes.
To date, the Oversight Committee has released more than 65,000 pages
of documents, issued 13 subpoenas, and conducted interviews with two
key witnesses, both of whom were Republicans.
The Trump administration has provided us with Department of Justice
materials and access to suspicious activity reports. Unfortunately,
throughout this investigation, Democrats have chosen to manufacture yet
another anti-Trump hoax instead of pursuing justice. They have
mischaracterized witness testimony and selectively released documents,
complete with targeted redactions in an effort to smear President
Trump.

[[Page H4727]]

For example, former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, who oversaw the
2019 Epstein investigation, stated clearly under oath that the
prosecution team found no evidence that President Trump committed
wrongdoing.
Despite this simple and straightforward fact, Ranking Member Robert
Garcia moments after that deposition, tiptoed out and publicly claimed
that ``Barr could not clear Trump of wrongdoing.''
That was a lie, and we have the transcript to prove it. I invite the
media to read the transcript.
When the Oversight Committee interviewed former U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of Florida Alex Acosta, Democrats whipped themselves
into a frenzy trying to manufacture a ``gotcha'' moment, but they
failed.
Mr. Acosta dismantled the Democrats' narrative. His testimony
confirmed there was no contact between President Trump and Mr. Acosta
and no connection between President Trump in the Epstein case.

{time} 1330

Next, Democrats resorted to selective leaks and doctored documents to
mislead the American people.
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Republicans have
posted 65,000 pages of documents we have received to date. Democrats,
by contrast, have released fewer than one dozen.
In their latest selective leak, Democrats released just 3 of the
23,000 pages of documents from the Epstein estate, and they made
redactions to two of those emails that changed both the context and
meaning of the three pages they released.
When CNN called them out for their deceptive redactions,
Representatives Stansbury and Crockett tried to blame Republicans for
their own edits, for the Democrat Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform edits.
After Democrats released only 3 emails, Republicans released over
23,000 pages. What did Democrats say in response when we released every
single document that we got? They claimed full transparency was meant
to ``disorient'' or ``distract'' from their manufactured narrative.
These are the same Democrats who chanted ``release the files'' every
day--until the files contradict the story they want to tell. That is
the definition of hypocrisy.
In contrast, full transparency exposed how Epstein appears to be TDS
Patient Zero. The emails reveal that a journalist coached Epstein to
blackmail then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from Kentucky.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, the files also show that a House Democrat
colluded with Epstein during the 2019 Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform hearing with a discredited witness with a vendetta
against President Trump. Unsurprisingly, Democrats have been silent
about their colleague's coordination with Epstein.
Another email shows Democrat fundraisers invited Epstein to an event
or to meet privately with Hakeem Jeffries as part of their 2013 effort
to win a majority. Hakeem Jeffries' campaign solicited money from
Jeffrey Epstein. That is what we found in the last document batch.
The files underscore why former President Bill Clinton must appear
for his deposition. We have subpoenaed him. To date, the Democrats have
done nothing to help us secure his appearance.
I support full transparency. The Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform will continue to work to get the truth to the
American people and to get justice for the victims. That is our goal of
this investigation.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I should just point out that we have heard now from the
two distinguished chairmen of the Committee on the Judiciary and the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and they have spoken
almost exclusively to denounce Democrats.
We have a bipartisan coalition here demanding the truth about the
largest child sex abuse and trafficking ring perhaps in American
history, certainly in this century, and they want to just throw stones
at the Democrats. What a remarkable failure of leadership we are seeing
from the other side.
I imagine that the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform will follow up his spectacular failure in trying to
impeach President Biden with his spectacular failure in trying to block
the resolution we brought to the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Garcia), the very distinguished minority leader on the House Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform.
Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to hear
Republicans, and certainly the chairman of our committee, finally want
transparency on this issue. It is time to end this White House coverup
now.
We know that Donald Trump has tried everything to kill our Jeffrey
Epstein investigation. He has failed, and now he is panicking. He is
about to lose this Epstein vote to force the Department of Justice to
release the files.
Let's be crystal clear. Trump has the power to release the files
today. He does not even need a vote. He continues to defy the subpoena
of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to release all the
files. What is Donald Trump hiding? What is Pam Bondi, the Attorney
General, hiding? Why won't they release the Epstein files right now?
He must explain to the public why he moved sex trafficker and monster
Ghislaine Maxwell to a cushy, low-security prison after her interview
with Trump's personal lawyer. He should declare, and every Republican
should say, that she does not deserve a pardon or commutation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 20 seconds to the
gentleman from California.
Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, we don't care how much money
you have, what party you are in, or how powerful you are. We should get
justice for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.
Our work on the committee is not over. Next steps are the bank and
financial records to follow and expose Epstein's network.
Today, there should be a unanimous vote on releasing the files, and
we will get justice.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Kiley), a member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I have consistently called for
the maximum possible level of transparency when it comes to the heinous
crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. That is why I have consistently said that I
am inclined to vote for this bill, and it is why I will be doing so
today.
The victims deserve the truth. They deserve justice. They deserve
closure.
For months, they have had to wake up every day to see the name of
their tormentor on the front page of every newspaper, on every TV
channel, as has the broader American public.
This issue has been so politicized by so many people in so many ways,
which is deeply unfortunate when we are talking about matters of the
highest sensitivity and untold suffering.
It is my hope that the passage of this resolution today, together
with the work of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will
lead to the expeditious release of all pertinent material so that we
can move on.
Let's get accountability. Let's get answers. Let's get this over
with.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Washington (Ms. Jayapal), a member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, thousands of girls, children, were abused
by Jeffrey Epstein and his massive and powerful ring of pedophiles and
protectors of pedophiles. We can't say all their names here. We don't
have time. Let's at least bring a few of the courageous survivors and
their names onto the House floor right here as we debate this: Haley
Robson, Jena-Lisa Jones, Michelle Licata, Ashley Rubright, Annie
Farmer, Marina Lacerda, and Rachel Benavidez.
These women have carried a burden that they never should have had to
bear. Today, they demand, we demand, and the American people demand
that we answer their clarion call to justice.

[[Page H4728]]

Today, despite all the giant coverup attempts by this administration
and this Speaker of the House, we will vote to release all the Epstein
files.
To be clear, there is no protection for pedophiles, no protection for
the rich and powerful men of either party who participated, who turned
a blind eye, and who winked and grinned while witnessing the horrific
abuses of young children. Release all the damn files now.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Knott), a member of our committee.
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I have been very supportive of this effort,
specifically to bring justice to the victims of this horrific series of
crimes. However, I have worked behind the scenes to raise concerns with
this petition as it is currently drafted.
Specifically, I believe that there is a grave risk of harming
innocent people, and I repeat, harming innocent people. When innocent
people are harmed, that is not furthering justice.
With an investigation of this size and a file that is as large as the
Epstein files and as poorly defined as that is in this petition, there
will invariably be people who are released, pursuant to this discharge
petition, who had nothing to do with criminal activity. Imagine, if you
will, a bellman, a waiter, some type of doorman, a mere social attendee
who had no impact whatsoever on the criminal activities of Jeffrey
Epstein, no participation. Their lives are forever ruined.
I am reading specifically from the petition's language that
``prohibited grounds for withholding'' information in this file are
``embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.''
I would just submit that if you were going to be embarrassed, if you
were going to suffer social harm, and that is all the encompassed
activity that you were a part of, you will be named in this petition.
I resent that. Innocent people should not be harmed when we are
pursuing justice.
I understand the political nature of this petition. I resent the fact
that there was not room for good faith amendments, and I urge the
Senate to protect innocent people.

{time} 1340

Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove).
Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, one in three women and girls around
the world are physically and sexually assaulted each year. Of the 152
women in this body, that means 51 women. It includes your daughters,
your sisters, your nieces, your mothers.
With the Epstein files, we have a chance to change that. However,
real talk: The administration doesn't need a discharge petition. It has
not complied with the subpoena, and it has the power to release the
files today.
Instead, the man in the most powerful position in the world has used
the full weight of the government to block, obfuscate, and deflect the
full release of the files. It is the same person who intimidated female
Members of Congress to withdraw their names from the petition, who
responded ``Quiet, piggy'' to a female reporter who asked about the
files, and who nominated an alleged sexual predator to be our AG. It is
the same person whose name appears more than any other in the Epstein
emails.
In the pantheon of violence, a sexual predator is the worst of the
worst, so why protect him? It is also curious that the Judiciary
Committee is managing this debate and has not even had this come before
the committee. I wonder why. Release the files now.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Roy), chairman of the Constitution and Limited Government
Subcommittee.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, today a united Republican Party and a
bipartisan supermajority is going to pass a bill to increase
transparency regarding the egregious abuses by Jeffrey Epstein, a goal
that anyone of conscience desires. That is in totality an important
statement to check the rich and powerful.
Remember how we got here. After decades, it was President Trump's
Department of Justice that indicted Jeffrey Epstein in July 2019. It
was President Trump's DOJ that arrested and indicted Ms. Maxwell. It
was the Republican-led Oversight Committee, through 13 subpoenas, that
has released 65,000 pages of files in just 10 months.
Meanwhile, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have largely
ignored this issue. It was Democrats who redacted an email to mislead
the American people about the truth of a witness that exonerated
President Trump. It was a Democrat, Representative Plaskett, who
literally texted with Jeffrey Epstein as we questioned Michael Cohen.
It was Democrats who shut down the government, resulting in the delay
of swearing in of Members.
As we vote to pass this legislation--and it will pass--it is
impossible, however, to avoid problems with its politicization. One
colleague has offensively gone so far as to say that to oppose this
bill means you support pedophiles. Yet, I know good public servants,
former law enforcement, and former prosecutors who never knew Epstein
and never knew any visitors to his criminal enterprise who have genuine
concerns about supporting this bill out of fear of creating new victims
or harming existing victims or both.
That is what we have reduced Congress to, inserting itself into the
prosecutorial process for political motivations, driven heavily by
hatred of President Trump.
We should be concerned about victim privacy, risking disclosure of
noncredible allegations of child sexual abuse materials, and future
investigations. However, here is the deal: The leaders of this Nation
must expose abuses by the rich and powerful. That is why President
Trump and the House have been working for full transparency, but we
should be motivated by truth and justice for all, not politics.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the minority whip.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, this should be an easy vote.
This is about justice for the victims and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.
This is about every victim of trafficking and sexual abuse, monstrous
crimes that thrive in secrecy and fear.
Yet, instead of shining a light on that darkness, just moments ago,
Donald Trump defended the continued obstruction of releasing these
files. Even as House Republicans prepared to vote ``yes'' today,
Speaker Johnson is calling this a show vote. He is calling it
dangerous. He is signaling the U.S. Senate to block it.
Republicans continue to use their power to shield rich pedophiles
from justice. If you can't stand up for these survivors, how can anyone
trust you to stand up for them?
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Just very quickly, what happened under the Biden administration?
Well, under the Biden administration, Ghislaine Maxwell was prosecuted
for conspiring to sexually abuse and traffic girls in 2020. In 2021,
she was convicted, in December of 2021, after a month-long trial in
Judge Nathan's courtroom. In 2022, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in
prison under the Biden administration for sex trafficking and sexual
abuse of minors.
When President Trump took office in January of 2025, they killed the
investigation. They assembled all the materials, they got all the
prosecutors together, and they terminated the investigation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support to release
the Epstein files. First, this issue is beyond party. It is a question
of justice. Survivors have waited too long. Stop the delay. This is not
a hoax. Release the files.
Second, we must face a hard truth. Silence that shields the powerful
is a betrayal of those they hurt. Congress must reject any attempt,
including a Presidential pardon or any form of clemency for Ghislaine
Maxwell. This cannot be done. This would be a coverup. We cannot allow
clemency of any kind for Maxwell, not now, not ever.

Survivors deserve justice. I urge a strong ``yes'' vote.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his eloquent
remarks. Pardons are for people who are

[[Page H4729]]

contrite. Pardons are for people who are repentant. Pardons are not for
people who lie. Every Member of this body should immediately, verbally,
vocally denounce the idea of clemency, commutation, or pardon for
Ghislaine Maxwell.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from
New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez).
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, there were thousands of girls and
young women abused, trafficked, and used by Epstein and the elite and
the powerful who believed they could get away with it.
Epstein told the young victims that he controlled the banks and the
government.
Those women refused to be silenced. Today, they have pierced the dark
with their light.
Anytime any girl is trafficked, molested, or abused, the world must
stand up. Today, the House proves Jeffrey Epstein wrong. The Senate
must do the same tomorrow.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Issa).
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, a minute and a half or an hour, the words
would still have to be the same. We have all said that this will pass
the House, perhaps unanimously, today.
I think all of us who have looked at the details of this particular
bill know that it is flawed and that before it goes to the President's
desk it has to be amended, as it can be amended in the Senate. We call
on the Senate to amend it so that we protect the innocent, so that we
have the provisions that were intended, perhaps, to be in this bill but
are not properly written.
With that, President Trump has said get it to his desk, and he will
sign it. President Trump has said he will do it. However, I am going to
say to all of us: It is also important that we remember that Epstein is
dead, but people live on, people who were innocent, people who, in
fact, should not be named.
We are not talking about the rich and the powerful. We are talking
about the very victims. That is what we need to make sure is amended
before it goes to the President's desk.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his time. I think no more needs
to be said. This body will vote for it all. But let's not kid
ourselves, it has to be changed so that it properly protects both the
tradition of the grand jury and, clearly, those innocent people that
would otherwise be swept up.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This whole bill is about protecting the innocent. Mr. Speaker, the
Senate must pass the bill, as we are passing it today and as the
President has said he would sign it, after changing his position on the
bill over the weekend when he could see the tidal wave of public
opinion moving against him. Let's pass this bill. Pass it in the
Senate. Sign the bill, and let's go ahead and release the complete
file.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentlewoman from
Arizona (Ms. Ansari).

{time} 1350

Ms. ANSARI. Mr. Speaker, the walls are closing in on Donald Trump and
his rich and powerful friends who either abused or raped children or
who were enabling and complicit in these heinous crimes for decades.
This vote today matters, but here is the truth: Donald Trump could
direct the Department of Justice to release the files today. He is
choosing not to. Led by Oversight and Government Reform Democrats, they
are already under subpoena and have refused. This is an ongoing cover-
up by the Trump White House. Mike Johnson and the White House have
been complicit.
Mr. Speaker, what is Trump hiding? Why not release the files today?
Release the files today.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about hypocrisy. Let
me be clear. I was a cosponsor of this very bill from the beginning,
from jump start, because we should never protect pedophiles.
For months, my Democratic colleagues have done what they think is
politically convenient through all the yelling, through all the tears,
and through all the sadness.
They say releasing the Epstein list is of grave concern to them. If
that was true, where were they during the 4 years of the Biden
Presidency? Why didn't they demand the release of these files from jump
start in year one? Mr. Speaker, why didn't they ask for them in year
two? If that wasn't good enough, why didn't they ask for them maybe in
year three? They had control. They didn't even ask in his final year of
office.
Other than a single letter the ranking member wrote in 2019, a single
letter, not one Democrat on the committee spoke out about Epstein or
his victims of this very terrible tragedy, other than to say he didn't
like the plea deal.
Mr. Speaker, let me say this: When they stand here today, insisting
how badly they want these files released, why didn't they do it? Yet
they stayed silent for year after year after year under Joe Biden.
It is impossible. Mr. Speaker, it is impossible to see that as
genuine. What I see is a group more focused on scoring political points
and drama than protecting abused children.
Mr. Speaker, the record is clear. Under Republicans, far more
information has been released in the last 6 months than was done during
all 4 years of the previous Presidency under Joe Biden. We have
actually been the party of transparency. We have released the
information. We have told the truth. Unfortunately, and I am sad to say
it, they have been the party of hypocrisy.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I have never heard a more defensive
presentation in my life than we are hearing from over there. The
gentleman should spend a little less time pointing out hypocrisy and a
little more time trying to ferret out cruelty, humiliation, and rape.
That is what we are working on.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from
California (Mr. Min).
Mr. MIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleagues we are all here
voting on the bill because President Trump, who has the power to
release the Epstein files at any time, has refused to do so. He called
this a hoax.
We are here because Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump have
gone to extraordinary lengths to try to kill and delay the discharge
petition, including refusing to seat Adelita Grijalva for over 40 days
and threatening House Republicans who signed on.
Several of my Republican colleagues have accused us who support
justice here of having Trump derangement syndrome. They suffer from
something much worse, which is pedophile protection syndrome.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to stop protecting pedophiles.
Release the Epstein files. The victims deserve justice.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their
comments to the Chair.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Walkinshaw).
Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Speaker, for years, we have watched dangerous
conspiracies like Pizzagate and QAnon shape our political landscape.
They helped fuel the rise of President Trump and were built on baseless
claims about secret pedophile rings, while the real documented case of
child sex trafficking involving Jeffrey Epstein remains shrouded in
secrecy because President Trump refuses to release the files.
Mr. Speaker, what is President Trump hiding? Why won't he release the
files? The House finally has the opportunity to act. Release the files,
and let the American people see the truth.
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the very distinguished
gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva), who is finally with us, the
Representative from Arizona's Seventh Congressional District.
Mrs. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the
survivors, family members, and advocates who are here today and have
never given up.

[[Page H4730]]

The legislation in front of us at its core is about something very
simple. The survivors deserve justice. The American people deserve the
truth.
To every survivor watching, their courage is inspiring. They are the
reason why this vote is happening today. Protecting women and children
from pedophiles should not be a Democratic issue. It should not be a
Republican issue. It should be a human rights issue and a matter of
justice.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Epstein File
Transparency Act.

____________________