The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of investigative files associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were seated in a public section, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who said he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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