The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will force the release of investigative files related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to Trump for his approval. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for months rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public specific data of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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