In a time where polarizing viewpoints reign over our country, a 427-to-1 vote passed in the House to approve a bill directing the Justice Department to release all files related to its investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.

This comes after the controversy of the files became a political episode on Capitol Hill, straying from the real issue — survivors of sexual violence deserve justice.

The vote is a step in the right direction for the women who survived abuse from Epstein and the right to transparency of the public.

President Donald Trump has denounced the attempt to get the files released as a “Democratic hoax.” He also said that Republicans who back the bill are a part of a “hostile act” toward the administration. In a recent news conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the recent release of Epstein’s emails a “distraction campaign.”

Trump changed viewpoints recently when he said that he would sign the bill if it came across his desk.

Even as the vote played out on Tuesday, partisan viewpoints rippled through the house.

The lone “nay” came from U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins R-Louisiana. He said on X that the bill “abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure” and “would result in innocent people being hurt” because of the names that would be revealed in the files.

According to The New York Times, Speaker Mike Johnson only voted for the bill because of the “political blowback he would receive for voting no.”

However, the survivors of Epstein’s abuse did not see this as a partisan matter.

A group of survivors of Epstein’s abuse came together for a public service announcement video, produced by World Without Exploitation, encouraging people to send letters of support to their congressional leaders.

“Please remember that these are crimes that were committed against real humans, real individuals. This is not a political issue. This, this has been going on for decades,” one survivor, Annie Farmer, told NBC News.

Not only does releasing the files bring light to those impacted by the convicted sex offenders’ horrendous deeds, it creates clarity in a situation that has been clouded with rumors the past few years.

It is important that the public is able to see the true nature of Epstein’s crimes is are aware of the people who were involved with him.

This accountability has been seen most recently with Lawrence Summers. He stepped down from the board of OpenAI on Wednesday after emails released by Congress showed that he communicated regularly with Epstein.

With talk about transparency in recent times, this vote was a step in the right direction, not only for victims of sexual assault, but for the future of accountability. If we can lose the idolization of politicians, business people and celebrities on such a mass level, we can work toward more justice for our neighbors and communities.