Release of Epstein Files
Floor Speech
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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, the House and now our Senate have finally acted to release the files and all the information regarding the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and all who enabled, all who knew and did nothing, and all who participated in some of the worst sexual abuse and trafficking crimes our country has experienced.
This will expose the rich, the powerful, and the self-entitled who were involved in these crimes and who did it for the worst possible reason, because they thought they could.
This necessary legislation should not have been necessary because this White House, this administration, this President could have merely released these files. Instead, they withheld, dismissed, and covered up. They even had their Justice Department's two highest officials try to coerce a House Member to take their name off the discharge petition that finally triggered the approval of this legislation.
It was only because of the actions of courageous survivors coming forward, coming to the Capitol, and speaking truth to power that we are able to advance this legislation.
As a Massachusetts district attorney, I oversaw specialized sexual assault police units, specialized sexual assault prosecutors, and specialized sexual assault victim-witness assistance units. I founded a child advocacy center to treat and reduce trauma for child victims of sexual assault.
I know from this one thing. The survivors want one thing and one thing only: that no child, no young girl, will ever have to go through the trauma that they went through, a trauma so great that one survivor took her own life.
Now, a warning to this White House, this administration, and this President. Never again say these crimes did not occur. Never call them a hoax, and don't attempt to abuse and pervert what this legislation does by invoking a sham active investigation as a disingenuous excuse to withhold a complete release of the Epstein files. Don't do this because the brave survivors will not stand for it, and they will not stand alone. The majority of this House will stand with them. The majority of our Senate will stand with them. Most importantly, the American people will stand with them.
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