The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to the president for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the measure over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he feared the measure would disclose specific data of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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