The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will force the release of investigative files concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to Trump for his approval. The president signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their advocates who were seated in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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