Senate Passes Bill to Release Epstein Files
The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval 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 near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to the president for his approval. The president signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a public section, applauded after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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