The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next will be sent to the president for his signature. He indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Although Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of individuals involved, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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