Congress Greenlights Bill to Disclose Jeffrey Epstein Files
The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their advocates who were present in a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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