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Who voted to not release the epstein files today in the house of representatives?
Executive summary
The House voted 427–1 on November 18, 2025 to compel the Justice Department to release its Jeffrey Epstein files; only Representative Clay Higgins (R-La.) voted “no,” and five members did not vote (vote tally reported as 427–1 with five not voting) [1] [2] [3]. Coverage is unanimous that the vote was near‑unanimous and that the measure now moves to the Senate [4] [5].
1. The lone “no” vote — who and why
Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana is identified across reporting as the sole lawmaker who voted against the measure on the House floor [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a detailed floor statement from Higgins explaining his “no” vote in the cited reports, so his specific floor rationale is not described in current reporting [2] [3].
2. The overwhelming “yes” coalition and how it formed
The bill passed with near‑unanimous support, combining most Democrats and Republicans and culminating in a 427–1 tally [1] [3]. That coalition formed after a long period of Republican resistance and maneuvering — including efforts to avoid a vote — until President Donald Trump reversed course and said he would sign the bill, which cleared the path for broad GOP support [2] [5] [6].
3. The procedural backstory: discharge petition and political pressure
House Democrats and a small group of Republicans used a discharge petition — a procedural tool that forces a floor vote — to bring the measure to the floor after leadership resisted, and the petition reached the required signatures when Rep. Adelita Grijalva’s swearing-in provided the decisive signature [4] [2]. Republicans who had worked to block the vote faced mounting pressure from survivors, the public, and intra‑party fights that eroded resistance [6] [7].
4. Leadership and presidential influence: reversal and tone
Speaker Mike Johnson, who had criticized the bill as flawed and had sought to delay a vote, ultimately voted for it on the floor [8]. President Trump had previously lobbied to prevent further releases but announced a reversal shortly before the vote and said he would sign the measure, a development reporters cite as decisive in moving many Republicans to support the bill [2] [5] [6].
5. What the vote actually does next
The House passage directs the Justice Department to release unclassified investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein; after the House vote the bill moves to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain and where some lawmakers have signaled interest in adding “guardrails” about what is released [9] [4]. Reporting notes that even if the House and Senate pass the bill, the DOJ’s handling could result in selective or incomplete releases, an outcome that observers worried could leave questions unanswered [9].
6. Survivors and public reaction framed the politics
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse and their advocates played a visible role in pushing for release and were seated in the chamber when the vote passed; outlets report emotional reactions from survivors and lawmakers who framed the measure as a transparency and victims’ rights win [10] [8]. Some Republican leaders argued the bill was imperfect and urged Senate amendments to better protect victims, a point stressed by Speaker Johnson in coverage [5] [7].
7. Diverging perspectives in coverage and motives to watch
News organizations uniformly record the numerical outcome and the single “no” vote, but they offer differing emphases: some highlight Republican infighting and presidential pressure [2] [6], others foreground survivor advocacy and bipartisan consensus [4] [5]. Readers should note potential political incentives: members may have voted to signal transparency to constituents, to avoid being portrayed as protecting the powerful, or to align with presidential direction — motives discussed across the reporting [2] [5] [6].
8. Limits of available reporting and what remains unclear
Sources consistently identify Clay Higgins as the only “no” vote and give the 427–1 result with five not voting, but they do not provide Higgins’s full floor explanation in these excerpts, nor do they provide a complete roll‑call list here for cross‑checking [1] [2] [3]. For a full roll call, official House records or a vote‑by‑vote transcript (not included in the current set) would be the definitive source; available reporting does not reproduce that complete roll call in these excerpts [1] [2].
Summary note: multiple major outlets corroborate the core facts — 427–1 tally, Clay Higgins the lone “no,” five not voting, and momentum tied to a presidential reversal — but readers seeking granular explanations for individual votes beyond Higgins’s solitary “no” should consult the House roll call and members’ statements beyond the articles summarized here [1] [2] [3].