The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he was concerned the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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