The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The administration relented after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to the president for his endorsement. The president stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for months downplayed the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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