Senate agrees to automatically pass bill to release Epstein files as Trump claims to not care – US politics live
NEWS | 19 November 2025
From 2h ago 17.35 EST Senate agrees to automatically pass House bill requiring release of the Epstein files The Senate just agreed to a unanimous consent request from the Democratic minority leader, Chuck Schumer, to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act as soon as the legislation arrives from the House. Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator, explains on X that “the Senate just ‘deemed as passed’ the Epstein resolution”, which means that “as soon as it arrives from the House, it automatically passes the Senate (with no amendments) and heads to the President’s desk. Wow.” Share Updated at 18.27 EST 26m ago 19.32 EST If Texas redistricting is blocked by courts, California's new map could result in net gain for Democrats Lauren Gambino California’s retaliatory gerrymander began as a threat to scare off Texas from moving forward with new Trump-sought maps. But as Texas moved forward, and California’s proposal became a serious legislative proposal, supporters of the plan, known as Prop 50, said it would include trigger language, asking voters to approve new House districts that would only take effect if Texas proceeded. That language was ultimately stripped from the bill as it sped through the California state legislature in August. At the time, Democratic lawmakers argued that Texas had already moved ahead with its map, drawn to help Republicans flip five Democratic-held House seats and preserve their fragile House majority for the final two years of Trump’s term.The fact that the Texas legislature was on track to approving the redistrtcing bill, California Democrats argued, effectively rendered the “trigger” language unnecessary. Now a federal judge has blocked Texas from using its newly redrawn maps, finding that there was “substantial evidence” of racial gerrymandering. Yet California’s map, which favors Democrats and was decisively approved by voters earlier this month, is still expected to take effect for the next three election cycles. Paul Mitchell, who drew the maps for Prop 50, told the LA Times that they would : “Our legislature eliminated the trigger because Texas had already triggered it.” The Texas governor, Greg Abbott has said he plans to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. But if the Texas map is struck down, California’s gerrymander designed to “neutralize” the Texas map would instead give Democrats a decisive edge in the 2026 midterms, likely to be decided by razor thin margins. In a post on X, the California governor, Gavin Newsom, called the ruling a “win for Texas, and for every American who fights for free and fair elections”. “Donald Trump and Greg Abbott played with fire, got burned -- and democracy won,” he wrote. The Justice Department is suing California over its map, accusing Democrats of using race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters. Democrats have expressed confidence that it would withstand legal scrutiny. Share 30m ago 19.29 EST Annie Farmer, Epstein survivor, calls for federal government to be held accountable for permitting his abuse to go on Annie Farmer, a survivor of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, welcomed the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act by the House on Tuesday. The legislation, which requires the justice department to release files from the federal investigation into Epstein’s crimes, will automatically pass the Senate when it arrives there from the House, likely on Wednesday. View image in fullscreen Annie Farmer, a victim of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, spoke during a vigil to honor survivors of his crimes in Washington DC on Tuesday. Photograph: Daniel Heuer/AFP/Getty Images Farmer said in a statement sent to reporters on Tuesday: My sister, Maria Farmer, first reported Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to federal authorities nearly three decades ago. Since then, survivors – myself included – have been left in the dark about how our reports were investigated, who was involved in our abuse and trafficking, and why Epstein and Maxwell were able to get away with inflicting pain on so many women and girls for years. We are thankful that Reps. Massie and Khanna have pushed this measure forward and have continued to advocate for the release of the Epstein files once and for all. But today’s actions are only part of the solution — Maria’s lawsuit, which aims to hold the federal government accountable for their mismanagement of her reported abuse, is still ongoing. We hope her suit finally brings much deserved transparency and accountability for all those implicated. Share 1h ago 18.53 EST House delays walking Epstein files bill to Senate - report Jamie Dupree, a veteran congressional correspondent, reported on social media on Tuesday evening that “the House may not walk the Epstein Files bill over to the Senate until Wednesday.” A short time later, Dupree noted that the Senate had adjourned until Wednesday morning. “That means no final action tonight on the Epstein Files bill,” he wrote. “The bill papers are still on the House side of the Capitol.” While it is not, as even the QAnon Shaman can attest, a long walk from one side of the Capitol to the other, the House leadership might have delayed transmitting the Epstein Transparency Act to the Senate immediately to keep Donald Trump from having to sign it during the visit of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. View image in fullscreen As legislation to require the release of the Epstein files makes its way through Congress, Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump waited to welcome the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to dinner at the White House. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, just welcomed the Saudi crown prince back to the White House for a formal dinner on Tuesday night. The first lady wore a green gown, perhaps in honor of the Saudi flag. View image in fullscreen Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, welcomed the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to a dinner at the White House on Tuesday. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Share Updated at 19.09 EST 2h ago 18.09 EST White House official says Trump will sign bill requiring release of Epstein files - report An unnamed senior administration official told NBC News on Tuesday that Donald Trump will sign the legislation requiring the justice department to release files on Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender Trump socialized with for more than 15 years. “The bill will be signed whenever it gets to the White House” the official said, according to Garrett Haake, NBC’s senior White House correspondent. Share 2h ago 17.47 EST Trump claims not to care about Senate passing Epstein Transparency Act Writing on his social media platform, Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday to be unconcerned about the legislation making its way to his desk, which would compel the justice department to release investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender Trump socialized with for more than 15 years. “I don’t care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future, I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had”, Trump wrote, before going on to list what he called his great achievements in office. The president did not indicate whether he would sign the legislation into law, or veto it. Even if he does sign the bill, the justice department could argue that some of the documents gathered by federal investigators before Epstein’s death in jail in 2019 need to be kept private if they relate to the new investigations into prominent Democrats Trump ordered last week. View image in fullscreen In 2018, Melania Trump wore a jacket emblazoned with the words "I really don't care, do u?" on her way to visit detained immigrant children in a Texas border town. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Share Updated at 18.15 EST 2h ago 17.35 EST Senate agrees to automatically pass House bill requiring release of the Epstein files The Senate just agreed to a unanimous consent request from the Democratic minority leader, Chuck Schumer, to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act as soon as the legislation arrives from the House. Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator, explains on X that “the Senate just ‘deemed as passed’ the Epstein resolution”, which means that “as soon as it arrives from the House, it automatically passes the Senate (with no amendments) and heads to the President’s desk. Wow.” Share Updated at 18.27 EST 3h ago 17.04 EST 'MBS is getting the blood-red carpet treatment', Khashoggi's editor writes Karen Attiah was Jamal Khashoggi’s editor at the Washington Post when the columnist was murdered, according to US intelligence, on the orders of Donald’s Trump’s guest in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS. Attiah reacted to the spectacle of the Saudi leader being welcomed to the White House with anger and dismay, writing on Bluesky: “MBS is getting the blood-red carpet treatment to the White House. Vile and disgusting. Absolute thugs rule us.” View image in fullscreen Donald Trump usherd the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, into the White House on Tuesday. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters “I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered,” she also wrote, sharing a link to the 2018 column. “He was calling for free expression in the Arab world.” In an an opinion piece for the Guardian on Tuesday, Attiah wrote: In September 2017, while I was the editor of the Washington Post’s global opinion section, I asked Jamal to write for us. He published “Saudi Arabia was not always this repressive, but now it’s unbearable”, breaking his year-long silence. I hired him to continue to write for the Washington Post. A year later, Saudi Arabia had Jamal killed. In the aftermath of Jamal’s murder, Trump administration officials worked overtime to launder Saudi Arabia’s blood-stained image. Jared Kushner was advising Prince Mohammed on how to “weather the storm”. Last year, Kushner’s equity firm received $2bn from Saudi Arabia’s private equity firm. Read the full column here: The Saudification of America is under way | Karen Attiah Read more Share Updated at 17.15 EST 3h ago 16.46 EST Former Washington Post editor calls Trump's comments on murder of Jamal Khashoggi 'a disgrace' Marty Baron, the former executive editor of the Washington Post, called Donald Trump’s remarks on Tuesday, in which the president dismissed concerns about the Saudi regime’s 2018 murder of the Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, “a disgrace” in an email to TheWrap. As our colleague Julian Borger reports, when an ABC News reporter confronted Trump’s guest, Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, over the US intelligence assessment that he ordered the brutal murder of the dissident Saudi columnist, Trump stepped in to defend the Saudi leader, saying that “a lot of people didn’t like” the murder victim before pointing at bin Salman, and adding: “things happened, but he knew nothing about it”. Trump then attacked the reporter, Mary Bruce, and suggested that the FCC should strip ABC of its broadcast license because she asked what the president called “a horrible, insubordinate and just a terrible question” of the Saudi leader, a man the president said was “highly respected”. Trump’s comments were a disgrace,” Baron wrote to TheWrap, a media business outlet. “‘Things happen,’ he said. Actually, someone made them happen. And that was the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He had Jamal Khashoggi assassinated, and then he and his government lied about what happened.” Trump couldn’t care less about the killing of a journalist unless he viewed that journalist as a supporter of his,” Baron continued. “In this instance, he suggests the killing was justified on the grounds that ‘a lot of people didn’t like’ Khashoggi. And then he ignores the facts of the brutal murder itself, suggesting MBS was clueless. Just when you think Trump has gone as low as possible, he goes still lower.” Three weeks after Trump left office in 2021, US intelligence agencies concluded that the crown prince, known as MBS, “approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi” and noted “the Crown Prince’s support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad”. Share Updated at 16.51 EST 4h ago 16.15 EST Here's a recap of the day so far The US House overwhelmingly approved a bill demanding that the Justice Department release all files related to its investigation into the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein . The finally tally was 427-1, with five members not voting. The near-unanimous vote was the culmination of a months-long effort led by a bipartisan group of House members that initially faced deep opposition from the president and House leadership. But as it became clear the Speaker’s manoeuvring to prevent a vote on the petition would not succeed, Trump reversed course and threw his support behind the effort. The bill next moves to the Senate. If it is approved by the upper chamber, it would then go to Trump for his signature. After the House voted today, the Senate’s top Republican, John Thune told reporters that a vote on the bill would happen “fairly quickly”. Thune added that it’s “not likely” the legislation will have any further amendments. This, despite calls from House speaker Mike Johnson and several GOP lawmakers, to make changes to further protect victims’ identities. A reminder, provisions to redact names and child abuse materials are already part of the legislation. For his part, Donald Trump has signaled he would sign the bill if it reached his desk. A panel of federal judges has ruled that Texas cannot use the 2025 congressional map for the midterms. Instead, the state must use the 2021 boundaries in the upcoming election. The map, drawn by the GOP lawmakers in Texas at the behest of Donald Trump, was the catalyst of a nationwide redistricting battle. In response, California voters passed a ballot initiative to redraw their own maps, offsetting the five seats that Republicans gained in Texas in the process. In today’s ruling, the judges, which included a Trump appointee, said that the creation of a new map appeared unconstitutional and “racially gerrymandered”. Meanwhile, at the White House today, the president welcomed Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman. It was the crown prince’s first visit to Washingtong since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul. In the Oval Office, Trump brushed off questions from a reporter about MBS’s role in Khashoggi’s killing, saying “things happen”. The president added that bin Salman “knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that”. In 2021 US intelligence concluded that bin Salman had approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the Saudi regime. When it came to matters of business, MBS announced Saudi Arabia was raising its planned investments in the US to almost $1tn , up from $600bn that the Saudis said they planned to invest when Trump visited the kingdom in May. Trump also confirmed that he had agreed to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets despite some concerns within the administration that the sale could lead to China gaining access to the US technology behind the advanced weapon system. The Department of Education (ED) announced today that it is outsourcing a number of its functions to different agencies, in a move that is part of the administration’s wider plans to totally dismantle the department. The ED said that through six new interagency agreements, with the Department of Labor, Department of the Interior, and Department of Health and Human Services, it would “break up the federal education bureaucracy” and “move closer to fulfilling the President’s promise to return education to the states”. Share Updated at 16.21 EST 4h ago 16.03 EST Education department shifts functions to other agencies as part of administration's wider dismantling plan The Department of Education (ED) announced today that it is outsourcing a number of its functions to different agencies, in a move that is part of the administration’s wider plans to totally dismantle the department. The ED said that through six new interagency agreements, with the Department of Labor, Department of the Interior, and Department of Health and Human Services, it would “break up the federal education bureaucracy” and “move closer to fulfilling the President’s promise to return education to the states”. Trump ran on the promise that he would do away with the department responsible for the country’s education policy, and in March, he signed an executive order to dismantle the agency. Shuttering it outright requires congressional approval, but under the guise of education secretary, Linda McMahon, the scope of the department has diminished. Share 4h ago 15.55 EST Chris Stein The House of Representatives just voted to rebuke retiring Democratic congressman Chuy García for what his detractors said was a scheme to ensure that his chief of staff would be the only Democrat left on the ballot next year in his heavily blue district. The resolution, proposed by fellow Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, passed with almost all Republicans in favor, along with 23 Democrats. Three Democrats voted present. Perez accused Garcia of “election subversion” for announcing that he would not seek re-election next year, while, as the Chicago Sun-Times reported, quietly collecting signatures for his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, to be on the ballot. The two Garcias are not related. Democratic party leaders in the House had encouraged members to vote against the resolution, issuing a joint statement where they decried the “misguided resolution” and defending Chuy Garcia as “a good man who has always prioritized the people he represents, even while experiencing unthinkable family tragedy.” His wife is struggling with multiple sclerosis, and Garcia has said he is stepping down on the advice of his cardiologist. In 2023, his office announced the death of his daughter Rosa at the age of 28. Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli, a spokesperson for the congressman, said, “he followed every rule and every filing requirement laid out by the state of Illinois. At a moment like this, he hopes his colleagues, especially those who speak about family values, can show the same compassion and respect that any family would want during a health crisis.” Others disagreed, with longtime Democratic strategist David Axelrod calling his actions “old-style, Chicago machine tactics to ensure his chief-of-staff would be the only name on the Dem ballot. It’s election denial of another kind!” Democratic senator Andy Kim said: “Chuy Garcia’s decision to end his re-election at the last second and plant his chief of staff as the only candidate to succeed him was undemocratic and should not be allowed. Standing against corruption means standing up no matter which political party violates.” Share 4h ago 15.52 EST Senate majority leader says Epstein vote will happen 'fairly quickly' in upper chamber John Thune, the majority leader and top Senate Republican, said that a vote on the full release of the Epstein files will happen “fairly quickly”. Speaking to reporters on the Hill after the House voted, almost unanimously, for the justice department to release their complete trove of documents relating to the disgraced financier, Thune said that it’s “not likely” the legislation will have any further amendments. This, despite calls from House speaker Mike Johnson and several GOP lawmakers, to make changes to further protect victims’ identities. A reminder, provisions to redact names and child abuse materials are already part of the legislation. Share Updated at 16.06 EST 5h ago 15.13 EST As we mentioned earlier, the sole holdout in today’s vote to release the justice department files on Jeffrey Epstein was Republican congressman Clay Higgins. He said that the bill, in its current form, doesn’t adequately protect victims, survivors, and “thousands of innocent people”. The Louisiana lawmaker added: If the Senate amends the bill to properly address 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. View image in fullscreen Clay Higgins speaks during a budget hearing on Capitol Hill, 16 April 2024. Photograph: Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images However, there are provisions in the legislation, as written, which redacts identities and examples of child abuse. If the upper chamber issues an amendment, the House will need to vote on the bill again. A move that the bipartisan co-sponsors say is a delay tactic and unnecessary. Share 5h ago 14.52 EST In a statement after Tuesday’s vote, congressman Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House oversight committee demanded that the Senate majority leader John Thune take up the bill “immediately”. “Donald Trump is panicking and trying to stop our investigation. We need to know what he’s hiding, and what powerful men are responsible for the rape and abuse of children and women,” Garcia said. “And let’s be clear – Donald Trump has the power to release the files today. But he chooses to delay and deflect.” He added: “No more lies. No more secrets. We will get justice for the survivors. Release the files, NOW.” Share 5h ago 14.45 EST US House approves bill to force release of Epstein files in near-unanimous vote The US House overwhelmingly approved a bill demanding that the Justice Department release all files related to its investigation into the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The finally tally was 427-1, with five members not voting. Cheers rang out in the chamber, when the gavel banged the vote closed. Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, was the sole House member to vote against the measure. The near-unanimous vote was the culmination of a months-long effort led by a bipartisan group of House members that initially faced deep opposition from the president and House leadership. But as it became clear the Speaker’s manoeuvring to prevent a vote on the petition would not succeed, Trump reversed course and threw his support behind the effort. The bill next moves to the Senate. If it is approved by the upper chamber, it would then go to Trump for his signature. Trump told reporters on Monday he would sign the legislation if it reached his desk – still an if. Democrats, as well as the bill’s bipartisan sponsors, have called on Trump not to wait for Congress to act and instead to order the Justice Department to release the files, which he has the power to do. Share Updated at 15.04 EST 6h ago 14.23 EST Chris Stein While the House votes, the Guardian’s congressional correspondent Chris Stein sends this dispatch from Capitol Hill. As the House debates the bill to require release of the government’s investigative files related to alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, survivors of his abuses clapped from the chamber’s gallery, prompting an admonition from the chair. “I rise today to acknowledge the survivors, family members and advocates who are here today and have never given up the legislation in front of us, at its core is about something very simple: The survivors deserve justice. The American people deserve the truth,” said Democratic congresswoman Adelita Grijlava. “Protecting women and children from pedophiles should not be a Democratic issue. Should not be a Republican issue. It should be a human rights issue and a matter of justice. I urge my colleagues to vote yes.” The group broke into applause after Grijalva — who, after a lengthy delay, provided the final signature on a discharge petition that forced a vote on this bill — finished her remarks. The Republican lawmaker presiding over the House then addressed the group, saying “the chair will remind all persons in the gallery that they are here as guests of the House, and that any manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation of the rules of the House.” Jamie Raskin, the Democratic congressman managing the party’s debate, chimed in, saying: “I’ll just add, they’re here as honored guests of the House, and we’re delighted they’re here.” Share Updated at 14.24 EST
Author: Frances Mao. Robert Mackey. Shrai Popat. Lauren Gambino.
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