Senate Approves Bill to Release Epstein Files
The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will require the publication of investigative files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for months rejected the uproar over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose identifying details of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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