The Senate on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will force the release of investigative files associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next goes to Trump for his endorsement. He signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were present in a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would reveal specific data of people, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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