Rep. Clay Higgins was lone 'no' in House vote to force release of Epstein files
Higgins was the only House member to vote against requiring the Justice Department to release its Epstein-related files.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Wrkf, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
This is Associated Press reporting carried by a public radio outlet, with an AP byline, a wire-service dateline and multiple named sources. Those are strong indicators of established reporting and attribution.
- Source type — Associated Press wire reporting is a strong institutional credibility signal.
- Author attribution — The story identifies Stephen Groves as an Associated Press reporter and credits additional AP writers.
- Transparency — The report attributes claims and quotations to named lawmakers and survivors.
- Editorial standards — The established wire-service reporting format supports confidence in editorial processes.
The report gives the vote tally, explains the bill’s disclosure provisions and presents statements from supporters and critics, including Johnson’s concerns. It offers substantial reporting and attribution, though the Senate’s next steps and some of the competing claims remain unresolved.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The report explains why supporters sought disclosure and includes Johnson’s stated concerns about exposing information on victims and investigations. Supporters receive more of the narrative, but the opposition’s position and the uncertainty over Senate action are included.
- Counterarguments presented — Johnson’s concerns about unintended disclosure and protecting victims and whistleblowers are reported.
- Source diversity — The story quotes lawmakers from both parties as well as survivors.
- Omitted context — The article gives limited detail on the Senate’s likely decision-making but notes that its course is unclear.
- Loaded language — Some forceful descriptions appear, but most political judgments are attributed to their speakers.
The article uses a straight news format, attributes opinions to the people expressing them and includes both supporters’ arguments and Johnson’s concerns. Its account of resistance and reversal is presented as reported events rather than an overt political endorsement.
- Language tone — Mostly descriptive language, with characterizations such as “fold” attributed to the account of events.
- Source selection — Quotes supporters and critics of the legislation, including Johnson and the bill’s sponsors.
- Framing — Frames the story around the vote and the political pressure that preceded it.
- Headline — The headline highlights Higgins’s lone opposing vote without adding an evaluative label.
Republished with credit
Republished from WWNO, with credit to the original publisher.
Not enough stories yet: 2 of 10.
The House passed a bill requiring the Justice Department to release its Epstein-related files, 427-1, with Rep. Clay Higgins casting the sole “no” vote. The vote followed months of resistance from President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson; the bill’s path in the Senate remained uncertain.
The House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act by a 427-1 vote on Tuesday, with Louisiana Republican Rep. Clay Higgins the only member voting against it. The bill would require the Justice Department to release files and communications related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing some information about victims and ongoing investigations to be redacted.
The article describes months of efforts by Trump and Johnson to prevent or delay a vote, followed by Trump urging Republicans to support the bill and Johnson voting for it while raising concerns about disclosures involving victims and whistleblowers. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna supported the effort, while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune had not committed to a course of action, and the Senate’s handling of the bill was unclear.
Community verdict
25 VOTESCounts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 42
Votes cast on this page
Votes cast on this page: ▲ 0 · ◆ 0 · ▼ 0
People in this story
SWIPE →Speaker who controlled the House schedule and voted for the bill
Johnson's version of this story ↗President who opposed moving forward on the files before urging Republicans to support the bill
Trump's version of this story ↗Kentucky representative and co-sponsor of the bill
Senate majority leader whose response to the bill remained uncertain
Georgia representative who advocated for the vote and criticized Trump’s opposition
House Democratic leader who celebrated the vote
Arizona representative who signed the discharge petition after being sworn in
California representative and co-sponsor of the bill
Part of a bigger story
33 OUTLETSThe House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act 427-1, with Clay Higgins casting the sole no vote. Left-leaning outlets present Higgins’s vote as grounds for criticism, highlighting public backlash or his broader record. Center outlets mostly explain his stated privacy and due-process concerns while recounting the vote. Right-leaning outlets emphasize his privacy rationale, while some frame the disclosure push as a partisan fight.
- ARTICLES
- 42
- OUTLETS
- 33
- AVG CRED
- 66
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