The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will require the publication of investigative files concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to block the joint action involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to the president for his endorsement. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Even though Trump has for months downplayed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would reveal personal information of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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