Iowa’s Republican congressional delegation voted Tuesday to force the release of the Epstein files subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee and compel the U.S. Department of Justice to release all non-confidential investigation files.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The vote follows all Democrats joining several Republicans who have called for the release of the files after the files were subpoenaed by the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee earlier this year.
The files detail emails between Jeffrey Epstein, a New York financier, and his accomplices, where President Donald Trump is referenced on multiple occasions and where Epstein and his accomplices detail their complex sex trafficking network.
The vote comes after months of vehement opposition from House leadership and Trump, who insisted the files were a “hoax” and that Democrats’ ties to the files should be investigated.
However, Trump shifted his views on the bill after a discharge petition from a bipartisan group of lawmakers forced the bill out of committee and to a floor vote in the House on Tuesday. On Monday, Trump encouraged Republicans to vote for the bill and stated he would sign it if it were sent to his desk.
All four members of Iowa’s congressional representatives voted for the bill that would force the Department of Justice to make all investigative files that are not confidential publicly available.
However, none of them were listed on the discharge petition that brought the bill to a vote.
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said last week she would support the release of the Epstein files during a town hall meeting in Keosaqua, Iowa, on Nov. 10. She voted to release them on Tuesday and said, in a statement, she voted for “full transparency” with their release.
“The American people deserve to know the truth, and the victims deserve accountability, no matter the power, status, or political connections of those involved,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement on Tuesday. “Releasing these files is an important step toward ensuring every victim is heard, every predator is exposed, and no one is ever shielded from responsibility again.”
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, said Epstein “is a disgusting human being who committed horrific crimes,” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, following the vote Tuesday.
“Transparency and accountability from our government isn’t optional, it’s a duty,” Nunn said in the post. “Iowans deserve the truth, victims deserve justice, and full transparency is how we deliver both.”
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said in a post on X Tuesday, she has always advocated for “full transparency and accountability for anyone who was involved in his exploitation ring.”
“Jeffrey Epstein was a disgusting pedophile,” Hinson said. “We must protect the victims and seek the full truth and justice. I am 100 percent committed to that, voted in favor of releasing all of the files, and support continuing all investigative efforts.”
Iowa Democrats’ Chair Rita Hart criticized Iowa’s delegation for not supporting the discharge petition and supporting previous resolutions to block the release of the files.
“Iowa’s representatives showed how spineless they really are by voting to block the public from learning the truth in the Epstein Files for months, only giving in when Trump finally told them to vote for the release,” Hart said in a statement on Tuesday. “It’s clear that they stand with their D.C. party bosses and powerful interests, not with Iowans and not with victims of abuse.”