A person holds a “Release the Files” sign during a rally in Washington, D.C., to support alleged victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Sept. 3, 2025.

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Tuesday, Nov. 18, on a measure that would force the Justice Department to release all of its records on disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The vote comes after President Donald Trump called on House Republicans to vote for the full release of files related to Epstein, a stunning reversal after he previously warned the GOP to stay out of the Epstein "trap."

"It's time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat 'Shutdown,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Nov. 16.

Trump partied with Epstein in New York and Florida in the 1990s and 2000s, along with other members of the U.S. and international power elite. Trump said his friendship with Epstein ended in the 2000s and that he had no connection to Epstein's crimes, and that his political enemies are trying to smear him by insinuating otherwise.

Here is what you need to know about the upcoming vote.

When is the House voting on the Epstein files?

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believed a vote on releasing the files should help put to rest allegations that Trump had any connection to Epstein's abuse. He later told reporters the vote would be held on the afternoon of Nov. 18.

"He's never had anything to hide," Johnson told reporters on Nov. 17, referring to Trump. "He and I had the same concern, that we wanted to ensure that victims of these heinous crimes are completely protected from disclosure."

Supporters of the files' release say they also share this concern, and the resolution on which House lawmakers will vote says the Justice Department may withhold or redact the identifying information of victims.

What would the bill do?

The Epstein Files Transparency Act would require the Justice Department to publish "all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ's possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein."

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, D-California, are lead authors of the bill, which says it covers documents related to Epstein's co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, potential flight logs and travel records, and individuals named or referenced in connection to Epstein.

What will the House do?

The Epstein bill already had enough support to pass the House. It's now expected to pass the House after Trump urged Republicans to vote for the legislation.

All House Democrats — and four House Republicans — signed a discharge petition to force the vote on releasing the files. Massie has predicted that 100 or more Republicans would vote for the bill, plus all the Democrats.

If the House passes the resolution, it would move to the Senate, which would also need to vote on it before sending it to Trump to sign. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune's office declined to comment on plans for the bill.

Contributing: Joey Garrison and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Reuters

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House plans to vote Tuesday on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files. Here's what to know.

Reporting by Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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