The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to block the joint action involving a case that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of people, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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