The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of investigative files associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to block the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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