The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration relented after months of trying to block the joint action involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval 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 near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his approval. He stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for months downplayed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates who were present in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he feared the measure would reveal specific data of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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