The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved 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 reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for months rejected the outcry over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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