Senate Passes Bill to Disclose Jeffrey Epstein Files

The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.

Swift Passage in Congress

The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.

Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”

Future Action

The measure next will be sent to the president for his signature. Trump signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.

Though Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.

Support and Opposition

Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, applauded after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.

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