The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. He signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for months downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their advocates who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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