Highlights

• House voted 427-1 to pass Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 18, 2025
• Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA-3) was the only “No” vote among 428 House members
• Higgins represents Louisiana’s 3rd District, which includes Lafayette and 10 parishes across Acadiana and coastal Louisiana
• Bill would require Justice Department to release all unclassified Epstein-related files within 30 days
• Higgins cited concerns about protecting innocent people named in investigative files from media scrutiny

South Louisiana Congressman Is Sole “No” Vote on Releasing Epstein Files

Clay Higgins was the only House member to vote against forcing the Justice Department to release all files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins was the only member of Congress to vote against releasing files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Tuesday.

The House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act 427-1, with Higgins, who represents Lafayette and much of Acadiana, as the lone “no” vote.

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What Louisiana’s 3rd District Voters Need to Know

Higgins has represented Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District since 2017. The bipartisan push for the bill saw President Donald Trump reverse his earlier opposition and House Speaker Mike Johnson ultimately vote in favor despite his reservations.

The 3rd District covers more than 755,000 residents across 10 parishes from Lafayette through Acadiana to Louisiana’s coast, including parts of Calcasieu, Cameron, Vermilion, Iberia, St. Martin, Lafayette, Acadia, Jeff Davis, Terrebonne, and Lafourche parishes.

In a statement posted right after the vote, Higgins explained his reasoning. He wrote that he has “been a principled ‘NO’ on this bill from the beginning.”

“What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today,” Higgins wrote. “It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America.”

Higgins’s Concerns: Protecting Innocent People

The Louisiana congressman’s main objection is what he sees as weak protections for people named in investigative files who aren’t criminally implicated.

“As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people — witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.,” Higgins stated. “If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt.”

Higgins noted that the House Oversight Committee has already released more than 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case and said that effort would continue “in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans.”

The congressman said he would reconsider if the Senate amends the bill: “If the Senate amends the bill to properly address the privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House.”

What the Epstein Files Transparency Act Would Do

The legislation would force Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials the Justice Department has on Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days.

This includes flight logs and travel records like manifests and pilot records for any aircraft Epstein owned or used, documents on individuals named in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, and internal Justice Department communications about Epstein-related cases.

The bill includes some protections. The Attorney General can withhold personal information of victims and materials that would jeopardize an active federal investigation.

The Path to Tuesday’s Vote

The bill got to the House floor through a discharge petition — a rare procedural move that bypasses House leadership. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) led the effort and got the 218 signatures needed to force a floor vote.

Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) provided the decisive 218th signature when she signed the petition right after being sworn into office following weeks of delay during the government shutdown.

President Trump initially opposed the measure, and his administration called supporting it a “hostile act.” But Trump reversed course Sunday and said he would sign the bill if Congress passes it. House Speaker Mike Johnson, also from Louisiana, voted in favor while calling out what he said were “serious deficiencies” in the bill.

Epstein Survivors Spoke Before the Vote

Before Tuesday’s vote, several Epstein abuse survivors joined Massie, Khanna, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) outside the Capitol to share their stories and push for the bill’s passage.

One survivor, Jena-Lisa Jones, addressed President Trump directly: “I beg you President Trump, please stop making this political. It is not about you. You are our president, please start acting like it.”

About a dozen Epstein victims sat in the House gallery during the vote. Several left the chamber after the tally grew above a supermajority and passage was assured.

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What Happens Next for the Legislation

The bill now goes to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the vote could happen as soon as Tuesday evening.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would offer the bill under unanimous consent, meaning it would pass immediately if no senator objects.

Some senators want to add more guardrails around what information gets released, especially regarding victims’ privacy and people not criminally implicated.

Massie urged the Senate not to “muck up” the bill with changes, warning that amendments could serve as “another delay tactic.” If the Senate amends the bill, it would need to return to the House for another vote before reaching President Trump’s desk.

Higgins’s Record and District

Higgins is a former law enforcement officer and Army veteran who has represented Louisiana’s 3rd District since 2017. He’s a member of the House Freedom Caucus and his political views have been labeled as far-right.

He serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and chairs the Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee, where he investigates corruption at the highest levels of government. He also serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District includes Lafayette and covers the southwestern and south central part of the state, from the Texas border to the Atchafalaya River. The district includes cities like Lafayette, Lake Charles, Houma, Thibodaux, Morgan City, and New Iberia.