The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House 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.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Trump for his signature. Trump stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of people, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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