The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Trump for his approval. The president indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for months downplayed the outcry over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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