In a nearly unanimous vote, the US House of Representatives approved legislation that would release documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Among hundreds of supporters, only Republican Clay Higgins of Louisiana opposed the bill, calling his decision a stand for justice.
"What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today," Higgins wrote on X. "It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America."
The bill, which also passed the Senate without opposition, now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature to become law. The overwhelming support across party linVes highlights one of the few instances of clear bipartisan cooperation in Congress this year.
Higgins said his main objection was the risk to private individuals linked to the case. "As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc," he explained.
"If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt."
He added that he might back the measure if amendments were made in the Senate, though Republican leader John Thune indicated this was unlikely. "When a bill comes out of the House 427 to 1 and the president said he's going to sign it, I'm not sure that amending it is in the cards," Thune said prior to the Senate’s unanimous approval.
Initially, only four Republicans — Thomas Massie, Lauren Boebert, Nancy Mace, and Marjorie Taylor Greene — had joined Democrats in pushing the bill forward. Broader Republican support came after President Trump ended his opposition to the vote.
Higgins has served Louisiana’s third district since 2017 and is recognized for his strong conservative views. His stand on the Epstein bill adds to a record of taking controversial and unconventional positions.
In 2024, he faced censure from House Republicans after posting inflammatory comments about Haiti, calling it "the nastiest country in the western hemisphere" and describing its citizens as "eating pets" and "slapstick gangsters."
In 2020, Facebook removed posts where Higgins threatened armed protesters, citing policy violations against incitement to violence.
Before his congressional career, Higgins was part of Louisiana’s St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. He resigned in 2016 after public criticism of a video in which he threatened gang members while holding a rifle.
Attempts to reach Higgins for comment were made by the BBC.
