The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the joint action involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for an extended period rejected the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would make public personal information of individuals involved, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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