The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will force the release of investigative files associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging 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 approval. He stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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