Senators Led Bipartisan Landmark Transparency Legislation in the Senate
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and New Mexico’s U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján issued the following statement after an agreement was reached guaranteeing Senate passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act:
“We say no more to the rich and powerful using their influence, money, and connections to cover up the abuse of young girls,” said Merkley. “With overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate to release the Epstein Files, we are one step closer to delivering justice for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific abuse. The American people and survivors are demanding ‘equal justice under the law,’ and I will keep fighting to fully realize this vision of America.”
“President Trump promised transparency and accountability on Jeffrey Epstein and his horrific crimes. But for months, he and Congressional Republicans refused to act. That’s why I partnered with Senator Merkley to advance this effort, ensure the public has full access to information about Epstein and his network, and help deliver long-overdue justice for the victims,” said Luján. “It should never have required an act of Congress to do what basic decency and accountability demanded. President Trump and his Justice Department could have listened to victims and released these files. Now they must follow through without further delay.”
Previously, Merkley and Luján introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act with the support of 24 other Democratic Senators—including Leader Schumer. In September, Senate Republicans blocked his bill to publicly release the Epstein Files, though two Republicans joined the effort to release the files. Today, the bill had bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate—Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rand Paul (R-KY)—and all Democrats and Republicans joined together to vote to release the files and finally take a step towards justice.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the U.S. Department of Justice to release all the Epstein Files within 30 days of passage and includes strong protections to redact appropriate information to protect victims’ privacy and national security, while explicitly prohibiting redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity.
Full text of the Epstein Files Transparency Act as introduced in the Senate can be found by clicking here.
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