The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will require the publication of investigative files concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. Trump stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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