The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Trump for his signature. Trump indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though Trump has for months dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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