The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of investigative files related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to Trump for his endorsement. The president indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months dismissed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would disclose specific data of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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