The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration relented after an extended period of trying to forestall the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next goes to the president for his endorsement. He signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who said he was concerned the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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