The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. He indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their advocates who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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