The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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