The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to the president for his endorsement. The president indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a viewing area, applauded after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he feared the measure would disclose specific data of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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