The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of investigative files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to the president for his endorsement. Trump signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for an extended period downplayed the outcry over the official management of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he was concerned the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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