The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will require the publication of investigative files associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next goes to the president for his endorsement. He signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates who were seated in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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