The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will require the publication of investigative files related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he worried the measure would make public identifying details of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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