The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of investigative files associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next heads to Trump for his signature. The president stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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