Politics

(WASHINGTON) — The House could act as soon as Wednesday to move forward with an effort to strip controversial language in the government funding bill that allows senators to sue the government if their phones are investigated without their knowledge.

Meanwhile, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune continued to be noncommittal about what the Senate will do after the House acts.

The provision was inserted at Thune’s request, ABC News learned, into the massive government funding bill that passed Congress and was signed into law last week at Thune’s request.

The House is expected to pass a measure to repeal the provision with bipartisan support Wednesday night.

The majority leader, who has control over what legislation is voted on in the Senate, did not commit to taking any sort of action in the Senate if the House’s effort to remove the language is successful and offered a defense of the provision.

“You have an independent, coequal branch of the government whose members were, through illegal means, having their phone records acquired, spied on if you will, through a weaponized Biden Justice Department. That to me demands some accountability,” Thune said. “And so, I think everybody is focusing on the private right of action, and whatever the number, you know the number that they agreed on. I think the important thing in all of this is, where’s the accountability, and what is the consequence of bad behavior.”

The legislation that was approved as part of the funding bill gives senators the ability to sue the government retroactively for $500,000 per device accessed as part of an investigation. Eight Republican senators had their phone records subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith as part of his investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and would be eligible to sue under the law. 

Many of those eight senators have told ABC News they have no intention of suing under the new rule. Some of those affected, like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., say they would support the House effort to appeal.

“I think it’s a bad idea. I mean listen, I’m all for accountability. I mean, I had my phone tapped so I’m all for accountability, don’t get me wrong. But I think taking taxpayer money is not the right way to do it. The right way to do it is tough oversight,” Hawley, R-Mo., said Wednesday morning.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., another senator whose records were accessed by Smith, is digging in. 

Graham told host Fox News’ Sean Hannity Tuesday night that he intends to sue for “tens of millions of dollars” under the new rule.

“I think this was worse than Watergate, an effort to destroy President Trump, charge him with crimes that are just ridiculous, and come after people like me. I’m not going to put up with this crap any more. I’m going to sue,” Graham said.

“I am going to sue. If you don’t sue, they’ll keep doing it. Don’t run away from this Republicans, fight back,” Graham told Hannity.

Attorneys representing Smith sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley in October seeking to correct what they call “inaccurate” claims that Smith wiretapped or spied on Republican lawmakers as part of his investigation.  

ABC News asked Thune Wednesday if he believed it was appropriate for his members to be suing the government for “millions” in taxpayer dollars. 

“I don’t think there is anybody that was targeted for whom the money matters. I think it’s more the principle and making sure there’s a remedy in the future,” Thune said. 

If the House passes its repeal of the language, Thune ultimately controls whether this bill gets put on the Senate floor.

If he allows it to, it would need 60 votes to pass. It’s unclear at this time whether there would be those votes, but there are several Senate Republicans who have signaled that they would support repealing the language. 

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(WASHINGTON) — Shortly after the Senate approved and sent a bill to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files to President Donald Trump’s desk on Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi faced questions on how the administration will respond.

“We have released over 33,000 Epstein documents to the Hill, and we will continue to follow the law and to have maximum transparency. Also, we will always encourage all victims to come forward,” Bondi said at a news conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and other officials on an unrelated law enforcement action.

Bondi told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas that there is “new information” that has come to the Justice Department regarding the Epstein files, but did not elaborate on what the new information is.

Last week, Bondi announced the Justice Department was initiating a renewed investigation into the files and potential ties between high-profile Democrats and Epstein just hours after Trump ordered her to on his Truth Social account. 

ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas pressed Bondi on Wednesday what changed from the department’s memo in July in which they said they planned to make no future public disclosures related to their review of Epstein’s case and no further charges were expected.

“There’s information, new information, additional information,” she said in response to the question from Thomas. “And again, we will continue to follow the law to investigate any leads. If there are any victims, we encourage all victims to come forward. And we will continue to provide maximum transparency under the law.”

It’s unclear whether the DOJ will seek to cite the new investigation as exempting much of the files from public disclosure due to their relevance to the new investigation, despite DOJ and FBI stating unequivocally in a July statement that it uncovered no evidence in a review of the files that would support a predicated investigation against any uncharged individuals. 

It’s unlikely the Justice Department would release the entire Epstein file, according to sources. Any materials related to ongoing investigations or White House claims of executive privilege will likely remain out of public view.

Earlier Wednesday, the Senate agreed to unanimously approve the bill the House passed on Tuesday, which meant there were no amendments or changes to the bill as House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of his Republican leadership team had urged.

Johnson on Wednesday said he was “surprised” that no amendments were made.

“I made clear for months that I thought there were serious flaws in the underlying bill, and I had hoped that the Senate would work to fix and correct those. They decided to go a different direction. That’s their prerogative. I was surprised and disappointed by that,” Johnson conceded.

Still, the speaker said he does not expect Trump to veto the measure.

“The Congress has spoken,” Johnson emphasized “You know that the president will process that, and there’s no delays in this at all. I mean, it’s moving forward, so I’m going to check the progress right now.”

If the legislation is signed into law, it could compel the release of federal records on Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s “criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings,” according to the legislation text. Victims’ names and other identifying information would be excluded from disclosure, as would any items that may depict or contain child sex abuse material, according to the text of the bill. 

Trump said on Monday that he will sign the bill should it reach his desk.

“I’m all for it,” Trump said.

But in a post on his social media platform Tuesday afternoon, the president said he doesn’t “care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future,” and that he wants Republicans to stay focused on his agenda.

“I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had, including THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, Closed Borders, No Men in Women’s Sports or Transgender for Everyone, ending DEI, stopping Biden’s Record Setting Inflation, Biggest Tax and Regulation Cuts in History, stopping EIGHT Wars, rebuilding our Military, being RESPECTED by every Country in the World, having Trillions of Dollars INVESTED in the U.S.A., having created the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World, and even delivering a HUGE DEFEAT to the Democrats on the Shutdown,” Trump said in his post.

A senior White House official later told ABC News that the bill will “be signed whenever it gets to the White House.”

Trump did not need to wait for Congress to act — he could order the release immediately.

At a vigil on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon, a group of House Democrats and Epstein survivors broke out in loud cheers upon learning that the Senate unanimously approved the bill. 

After New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez made the announcement from the podium, the group broke out in loud cheers, claps and smiles — some of them tearing up.

Democrats were seen hugging the survivors.

ABC News’ John Parkinson, Lauren Peller, Rebecca Gelpi, Michelle Stoddart and Alex Mallin contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will have one familiar face in his administration when he takes office in January.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Wednesday that she accepted Mamdani’s offer to remain in her position when Mamdani succeeds Mayor Eric Adams.

Late into his mayoral campaign, Mamdani, 34, said he would not replace the commissioner if elected. The mayor-elect cited the city’s drop in shootings, murders and transit crime since Tisch, 44, began her tenure as the commissioner in November 2024.

“I’ve spoken to Mayor-elect Mamdani several times, and I’m ready to serve with honor as his Police Commissioner. That’s because he and I share many of the same public safety goals for New York City: lowering crime, making communities safer, rooting out corruption, and giving our officers the tools, support, and resources they need to carry out their noble work,” Tisch said in a statement.

“I have admired her work cracking down on corruption in the upper echelons of the police department, driving down crime in New York City, and standing up for New Yorkers in the face of authoritarianism,” Mamdani said in a statement.

Mamdani has been previously outspoken about his concerns about the NYPD and has apologized for some of his past comments that were critical of the force.

Tisch acknowledged that she and Mamdani do have some differences in a department-wide email on Wednesday morning.

“Now, do the Mayor-elect and I agree on everything? No, we don’t. But in speaking with him, it’s clear that we share broad and crucial priorities: the importance of public safety, the need to continue driving down crime, and the need to maintain stability and order across the department. We also agree that you deserve the city’s respect and support,” she said in the email that was obtained by ABC News.

“I appreciate that the Mayor-elect wants a team with different points of view — a team where ideas and policies are debated on their merits. In those discussions, you can trust that I will be a fierce advocate for you and for this department. You know how I operate: I don’t mince words. When I say something, I mean it. And that is not going to change,” Tisch added.

Tisch, who is the daughter of James Tisch, the CEO of the Loews Corporation, has long been involved in city government under different administrations.

In 2008, she was an intelligence research specialist in the NYPD’s Counterterrorism Bureau, later counsel to the police commissioner, and the Counterterrorism Bureau’s director of policy and planning.

When Bill Bratton returned to lead the NYPD under Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014, Tisch was appointed as the deputy commissioner of Information Technology and led efforts to improve the department’s tech, including its CompStat tracking.

When Mayor Eric Adams took office in 2022, he appointed her as sanitation commissioner.

When Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned in September 2024, following a federal probe and an FBI search of his home, Adams, who was indicted on federal charges that same month, appointed Thomas Donlon as an interim commissioner before announcing Tisch two months later.

She became the second female NYPD commissioner, following Keechant Sewell, who served from January 2022 to June 2024.

Adams, who decided not to run for re-election in October, praised Tisch’s work and her decision to stay on.

“In choosing her to stay on as police commissioner, Mayor-elect Mamdani is recognizing our public-safety efforts were right and that they will continue into the future. We all want a safer city, and keeping Commissioner Tisch in place and supporting our police officers every day with the policies we have implemented, is exactly how we do that,” he said in a statement Wednesday.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Senate on Wednesday formally received the House bill for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and quickly sent it along to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Senate agreed to unanimously approve the bill the House passed earlier in the day. When it arrived from the House, it was deemed immediately passed by the Senate.

The unanimous action by the Senate meant there were no amendments or changes to the bill as House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of his Republican leadership team had urged.

The measure compels Attorney General Pam Bondi to make available all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” in the Department of Justice’s possession related to Epstein within 30 days of its enactment.

If the legislation is signed into law, it could compel the release of federal records on Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s “criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings,” according to the legislation text. Victims’ names and other identifying information would be excluded from disclosure, as would any items that may depict or contain child sex abuse material, according to the text of the House-passed bill.

ABC News has not received a response from the Justice Department to questions about whether and how it plans to comply with the bill once it has been signed by Trump. 

On Friday, Bondi announced the Justice Department was initiating a renewed investigation into the files and potential ties between high-profile Democrats and Epstein just hours after Trump ordered her to on his Truth Social account. 

It’s unclear whether the DOJ will seek to cite that announcement as exempting much of the files from public disclosure due to their relevance to the new investigation, despite DOJ and FBI stating unequivocally in a July statement that it uncovered no evidence in a review of the files that would support a predicated investigation against any uncharged individuals. 

It’s unlikely the Justice Department would release the entire Epstein file, according to sources. Any materials related to ongoing investigations or White House claims of executive privilege will likely remain out of public view.

Trump said on Monday that he will sign the bill should it reach his desk.

“I’m all for it,” Trump said.

But in a post on his social media platform Tuesday afternoon, the president said he doesn’t “care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future,” and that he wants Republicans to stay focused on his agenda.

“I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had, including THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, Closed Borders, No Men in Women’s Sports or Transgender for Everyone, ending DEI, stopping Biden’s Record Setting Inflation, Biggest Tax and Regulation Cuts in History, stopping EIGHT Wars, rebuilding our Military, being RESPECTED by every Country in the World, having Trillions of Dollars INVESTED in the U.S.A., having created the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World, and even delivering a HUGE DEFEAT to the Democrats on the Shutdown,” Trump said in his post.

A senior White House official later told ABC News that the bill will “be signed whenever it gets to the White House.”

Trump did not need to wait for Congress to act — he could order the release immediately.

At a vigil on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon, a group of House Democrats and Epstein survivors broke out in loud cheers upon learning that the Senate unanimously approved the bill. 

After New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez made the announcement from the podium, the group broke out in loud cheers, claps and smiles — some of them tearing up.

Democrats were seen hugging the survivors.

ABC News’ John Parkinson, Lauren Peller, Rebecca Gelpi, Michelle Stoddart and Alex Mallin contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral will be held in Washington on Thursday, with several high-profile political figures set to be at the service for the man considered one of the most influential vice presidents in U.S. history.

Former President Joe Biden plans to attend, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.

The funeral will be held at Washington National Cathedral at 11 a.m. ET.

Former President George W. Bush, who Cheney served for two terms, will offer a tribute at the service. According to the cathedral’s program, Cheney’s daughter, former congresswoman Liz Cheney, and his grandchildren will also give remarks.

Cheney died on Nov. 3 at the age of 84 due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.

“Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing,” the family said in a statement at the time. “We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Senate is expected to receive the House-passed version of the Jeffrey Epstein files and pass it along to President Donald Trump Wednesday morning.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Senate agreed to unanimously approve the bill the House passed earlier in the day. When it arrives from the House, it will be deemed immediately passed by the Senate.

The unanimous action by the Senate means there will be no amendments or changes to the bill as House Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of his Republican leadership team had urged.

The measure compels Attorney General Pam Bondi to make available all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” in the Department of Justice’s possession related to Epstein within 30 days of its enactment.

If the legislation is signed into law, it could compel the release of federal records on Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s “criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings,” according to the legislation text. Victims’ names and other identifying information would be excluded from disclosure, as would any items that may depict or contain child sex abuse material, according to the text of the House-passed bill.

ABC News has not received a response from the Justice Department to questions about whether and how it plans to comply with the bill once it has been signed by Trump. 

On Friday, Bondi announced the Justice Department was initiating a renewed investigation into the files and potential ties between high-profile Democrats and Epstein just hours after Trump ordered her to on his Truth Social account.

It’s unclear whether the DOJ will seek to cite that announcement as exempting much of the files from public disclosure due to their relevance to the new investigation, despite DOJ and FBI stating unequivocally in a July statement that it uncovered no evidence in a review of the files that would support a predicated investigation against any uncharged individuals.

It’s unlikely the Justice Department would release the entire Epstein file, according to sources. Any materials related to ongoing investigations or White House claims of executive privilege will likely remain out of public view.

Trump said on Monday that he will sign the bill should it reach his desk.

“I’m all for it,” Trump said.

But in a post on his social media platform Tuesday afternoon, the president said he doesn’t “care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future,” and that he wants Republicans to stay focused on his agenda.

“I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had, including THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, Closed Borders, No Men in Women’s Sports or Transgender for Everyone, ending DEI, stopping Biden’s Record Setting Inflation, Biggest Tax and Regulation Cuts in History, stopping EIGHT Wars, rebuilding our Military, being RESPECTED by every Country in the World, having Trillions of Dollars INVESTED in the U.S.A., having created the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World, and even delivering a HUGE DEFEAT to the Democrats on the Shutdown,” Trump said in his post.

A senior White House official later told ABC News that the bill will “be signed whenever it gets to the White House.”

Trump did not need to wait for Congress to act — he could order the release immediately.

At a vigil on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon, a group of House Democrats and Epstein survivors broke out in loud cheers upon learning that the Senate unanimously approved the bill.

After New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez made the announcement from the podium, the group broke out in loud cheers, claps and smiles — some of them tearing up.

Democrats were seen hugging the survivors.

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(WASHINGTON) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that the Senate could act as soon as Tuesday to approve the release of the Justice Department’s files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Thune said there’s currently an effort ongoing to determine whether any senator opposes moving forward with the bill. If no one objects, Thune said it was a “possibility” that the bill could be passed Tuesday — the same day it overwhelmingly passed in the House.

He also dismissed the idea that the Senate would amend the bill despite House Speaker Mike Johnson urging the Senate to do so.

“I think when a bill comes out of the House 427 to 1 and the president said he was going to sign it, I’m not sure that amending it is in the cards,” Thune said.

Johnson is not enthusiastic about the prospect of the Senate fast-tracking passage of the Epstein files bill in the upper chamber without making changes.

“I just texted him, we’re going to get together,” Johnson said about Thune. “We’ll talk about that.”

“There’s an easy way to amend the legislation to make sure that we don’t do permanent damage to the justice system, and I’m going to insist upon that,” Johnson added. “We’ll talk to our Senate colleagues.”

In remarks on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would personally call for the Senate to unanimously act on the Epstein bill later Tuesday.

“As soon as the House sends us the Epstein bill the Senate should move without delay to pass it unamended and send it on to the president’s desk to be signed into law. We should pass this bill as soon as possible, as written, without a hint of delay,” Schumer said.

The measure that passed in the House compels Attorney General Pam Bondi to make available all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” in the Department of Justice’s possession related to Epstein.

How would it work on the floor if this happened? 

If the Senate does move on the Epstein bill on Tuesday evening, it’s expected to be by unanimous consent.

Right now, Thune said the Senate is checking in with members to see if there is anyone who objects to passing the bill Tuesday night.

If there is no objection, it could be a very quick process on the floor. Thune or another senator would likely rise to ask for the bill to be passed unanimously. The presiding officer would ask if there were any objections and, if there were none, the bill would be approved.

There are, of course, many procedural hiccups that could emerge. But the possibility exists that this could be moved across the floor quickly.

Schumer could seek unanimous agreement for final passage, or he could seek unanimous agreement to hold a vote on the bill Tuesday night. Either way, his actions, if all 100 senators agree, could send the bill to Trump’s desk as soon as Tuesday night. 

Sen. Jeff Merkley is the sponsor of the Senate’s version of the bill that would compel release of the Epstein documents. 

In a separate speech on the floor, Merkley also called for the bill to be swiftly passed.

If the bill passes in the Senate, it will go to Trump’s desk for him to sign it into law. The president said on Monday that he will sign the bill should it reach his desk.

“I’m all for it,” Trump said.

If the legislation — as it’s written in the House-passed bill — is signed into law, it could compel the release of federal records on Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s “criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings,” according to the legislation text. Victims’ names and other identifying information would be excluded from disclosure, as would any items that may depict or contain child sex abuse material, according to the text of the House-passed bill.

Trump does not need to wait for Congress to act — he could order the release immediately.

Even if the measure passes through the Senate and is ultimately signed into law by Trump, it’s unlikely the Justice Department would release the entire Epstein file, according to sources. Any materials related to ongoing investigations or White House claims of executive privilege will likely remain out of public view.

When would this happen?

The timing is very unclear.

The Senate floor is currently open and the Senate is expected to vote at 5:30 p.m. ET on a separate matter unrelated to the Epstein files.

Thune could also decide to hold off until later in the week if that is the preference of his members.

1. ABC News’ John Parkinson and Rebecca Gelpi contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Education on Tuesday announced six interagency agreements that would transfer some of its offices to other government agencies. The moves mark a “major step forward” in downsizing the department and returning education to the states, a senior department official said.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon touted the “bold action” her agency is taking to accomplish the mission of putting herself out of a job.

“Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission,” McMahon wrote in a statement. “As we partner with these agencies to improve federal programs, we will continue to gather best practices in each state through our 50-state tour, empower local leaders in K-12 education, restore excellence to higher education, and work with Congress to codify these reforms. Together, we will refocus education on students, families, and schools — ensuring federal taxpayer spending is supporting a world-class education system.” 

Under the agreements, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s programs as well as sections of the Office of Postsecondary Education, including higher education grant programs and institution-based grant programs, will be co-managed by the Department of Labor, according to the senior department official. 

The Office of Indian Education will be administered by the Interior Department and child care access — which would improve on-campus child care support for parents enrolled in college — and foreign medical accreditation will go to the Health and Human Services, and international and foreign language services is moving to the State Department, the senior department official said on a call with reporters. 

The department official said the agency has broad authority to move the services and explained that policies and oversight made by these offices will be vested and remain at the Department of Education. However, grant processing will be housed with the partner agencies, the department official stressed on the call.

Interagency agreements are a frequently used tool and the Education Department has engaged with other partner agencies more than 200 times to procure various services of other partner agencies over the years, the senior department official said.

The senior department official did not have a timeline for when the agreements would officially start.

Meanwhile, the statutory offices that resolve civil rights complaints, serve students with disabilities, and handle the nation’s $1.6 trillio student loan portfolio were not included in Tuesday’s announcement but the senior department official did not rule out future moves.

“OCR [Office of Civil Rights] is not one of the IAAs that we are announcing today,” the department official noted, adding “OCR, just as with [Offices of Special Education Programs and the Rehabilitative Services Administration] and [Federal Student Aid], we are exploring options and the best plans for the future.”

Critics quickly condemned the announcement.

National Parents Union (NPU) President Keri Rodrigues called the partnerships a “disaster,” calling on lawmakers to defend students impacted by the partnerships.

“By destabilizing the Department of Education, the Administration is undermining America’s long-term ability to compete, innovate, and lead on the world stage,” Rodrigues wrote in a statement to ABC News. “Congress must reject this misguided action and defend the rights, futures, and global potential of the students they serve.”

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said the Trump administration is “hellbent” on punishing underserved students.

But House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said the status quo is broken and praised the Trump administration on making good on its promise to fix the Department of Education.

“It’s time to get our nation’s students back on track,” Walberg wrote in a statement, adding, “It’s time to return education to those who are most committed to students’ success: their communities.”

In recent weeks, the department used social media posts and op-eds to explain its intentions. McMahon suggested it would be a “treat” to close the agency she leads in a Halloween post on X. Earlier, on the agency’s 46th anniversary, McMahon said the department needed an “eviction notice” because of ballooning spending, failing reading and math scores, and bloated bureaucracy in Washington. 

A few of the non-statutory functions of the department have already been moved. The agency started a workforce development partnership with the Department of Labor in McMahon’s efforts to shift programs and responsibilities to partner agencies. One of the programs helping educate the next generation of farmers has been transferred to the Department of Agriculture under Secretary Brooke Rollins.

The long-expected move inched President Donald Trump closer to his goal of shuttering the department and returning education decision-making to the states. However, dismantling the agency completely would take an act of Congress and 60 Senate votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

Trump chose McMahon, the former WWE president and CEO, to put herself out of a job.

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(WASHINGTON) — After months of anticipation, the House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill ordering the release of the Justice Department’s files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

It passed 427-1 — with GOP Rep. Clay Higgins as the only vote against the measure.

The bill will now head to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. 

About a dozen Epstein victims, including Virginia Giuffre’s brother, were seated in the front row of the gallery as the vote got underway. Some left the chamber after the tally grew above a supermajority and passage was not in peril.

Earlier on Tuesday, a group of women victimized by Epstein spoke outside the Capitol and urged lawmakers to vote yes on the bill. Several took aim at President Donald Trump directly and criticized his handling of the matter.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to avoid holding a vote in the lower chamber on the Epstein matter. In late July, Johnson sent the House home a day early for August recess because the House was paralyzed in a stalemate over the Epstein issue.

The speaker also sent the House home for more than 50 days during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — delaying the swearing in of Democrat Adelita Grijalva. After the shutdown ended last week, the Arizona Democrat became the 218th signature on the Epstein discharge petition, compelling the speaker to bring a bill co-sponsored by Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to the floor for a vote this week.

Johnson continued to criticize the bill on Tuesday morning but confirmed he would be voting to move it forward.

Just before votes were cast, Johnson said on the House floor that it was a “political exercise” and that the bill has “serious deficiencies.” Johnson said he hoped the Senate makes changes to it.

“[Trump] has nothing to hide,” Johnson said.

The president had also mounted opposition to the measure, including what sources said was an attempt to dissuade GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert in the White House Situation Room from supporting the discharge petition to force a floor vote. 

But faced with growing support for the measure in the GOP-controlled House, Trump suddenly reversed course over the weekend and said Republicans should vote yes on releasing the files “because we have nothing to hide.”

Pressed if he will sign the bill should it reach his desk, Trump on Monday said he would. 

“I’m all for it,” Trump said.

The measure — called “The Epstein Files Transparency Act” — would compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to make available all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” in the Department of Justice’s possession related to Epstein. 

The legislation seeks federal records on Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s “criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings.” Victims’ names and other identifying information would be excluded from disclosure, as would any items that may depict or contain child sex abuse material, according to the text of the proposed bill.

For months, Johnson has pointed at the House Oversight Committee’s inquiry — claiming that the panel’s probe is more far-reaching than the Khanna-Massie bill. Proponents of the bill argue that “the record of this vote will last longer than Donald Trump’s presidency.”

Trump does not need to wait for Congress to act — he could order the release immediately.

Even if the measure passes through the House and Senate and is ultimately signed into law by Trump, it’s unlikely the Justice Department would release the entire Epstein file, according to sources. Any materials related to ongoing investigations or White House claims of executive privilege will likely remain out of public view.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking young girls and women.

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(WASHINGTON) — After months of anticipation, the House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill ordering the release of the Justice Department’s files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

It passed 427-1.

The bill will now head to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson has tried to avoid holding a vote in the lower chamber on the Epstein matter. In late July, Johnson sent the House home a day early for August recess because the House was paralyzed in a stalemate over the Epstein issue.

The speaker also sent the House home for more than 50 days during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — delaying the swearing in of Democrat Adelita Grijalva. After the shutdown ended last week, the Arizona Democrat became the 218th signature on the Epstein discharge petition, compelling the speaker to bring a bill co-sponsored by Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to the floor for a vote this week.

On Tuesday morning, Johnson accused Democrats of “forcing a political show vote on the Epstein files” but confirmed he would be voting to move it forward.

Ahead of the vote, Johnson said on the House floor that the vote is a “political exercise” and that the bill has “serious deficiencies.” Johnson said he hoped the Senate makes changes to it.

“[Trump] has nothing to hide,” Johnson said.

President Donald Trump had also mounted opposition to the measure, including what sources said was an attempt to dissuade GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert in the White House Situation Room from supporting the discharge petition to force a floor vote. 

But faced with growing support for the measure in the GOP-controlled House, Trump suddenly reversed course over the weekend and said Republicans should vote yes on releasing the files “because we have nothing to hide.”

Pressed if he will sign the bill should it reach his desk, Trump on Monday said he would. 

“I’m all for it,” Trump said.

The measure — called “The Epstein Files Transparency Act” — would compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to make available all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” in the Department of Justice’s possession related to Epstein. 

The legislation seeks federal records on Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s “criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity, plea agreements or investigatory proceedings.” Victims’ names and other identifying information would be excluded from disclosure, as would any items that may depict or contain child sex abuse material, according to the text of the proposed bill.

For months, Johnson has pointed at the House Oversight Committee’s inquiry — claiming that the panel’s probe is more far-reaching than the Khanna-Massie bill. Proponents of the bill argue that “the record of this vote will last longer than Donald Trump’s presidency.”

Trump does not need to wait for Congress to act — he could order the release immediately.

Even if the measure passes through the House and Senate and is ultimately signed into law by Trump, it’s unlikely the Justice Department would release the entire Epstein file, according to sources. Any materials related to ongoing investigations or White House claims of executive privilege will likely remain out of public view.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking young girls and women.

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