The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will force the release of investigative files associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
The public have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Trump for his signature. He stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for months downplayed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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