The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the official management of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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