Congress Approves Measure to Disclose Epstein Files
The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to the president for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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