The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to the president for his approval. Trump stated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were seated in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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