Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership.

For survivors of Epstein’s abuse, passage of the bill was a watershed moment in a years-long quest for accountability.

"I'm thinking about Virginia Roberts Giuffre," said Annie Farmer whose voice broke down as she mentioned the late accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew.

The bill forces the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. It would allow the Justice Department to redact information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations, but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

Even before the bill's passage Tuesday, thousands of pages of emails and other documents from Epstein's estate have been released from an investigation by the House Oversight Committee.

Those documents show Epstein's connections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, influential political figures and Trump himself. In the United Kingdom, King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after pressure to act over his relationship with Epstein.