The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved 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 address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates who were seated in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he feared the measure would reveal personal information of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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