The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to the president for his endorsement. He indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he was concerned the measure would reveal personal information of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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