Senate Approves Epstein File Transparency Act
The Senate passed the Epstein File Transparency Act unanimously on Thursday, sending it to President Trump for his signature.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer requested unanimous consent to move forward with the bill that had already been approved by the House of Representatives. Remarkably, no senator opposed it. Earlier that day, the House voted 427 to 1 in favor of the bill, which mandates the release of all records pertaining to the Justice Department’s case against the late Jeffrey Epstein.
This process of unanimous consent allows the Senate to expedite the passage of legislation with agreement from all 100 senators.
On Tuesday, Schumer had assured that he would bring the Epstein Files Act to the Senate as soon as the House passed it, claiming that Republicans were attempting to “conceal the contents of the file.”
However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune suggested on Tuesday that the House’s bill would receive swift approval in the Senate.
“I believe the president is inclined to sign it,” Thune stated to reporters, hinting at a quick movement for the bill.
The bill’s rapid advancement stemmed from the efforts of four House Republicans: Thomas Massey, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert. They signed an expulsion petition aimed at forcing a vote in the House. This petition, introduced by Massey along with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna from California, had faced delays for months due to a historic government shutdown and opposition from the White House.
Interestingly, Trump changed his stance regarding the release of the Epstein files, sharing his thoughts on Truth Social. He stated, “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide.”
White House sources indicated that Trump’s reluctance to support the bill is based on concerns that Democrats were leveraging the Epstein files for their own political gain.
According to an official, “He felt that Democrats were using the House vote as a distraction from the administration’s successes.” He has been advocating for transparency long before this issue gained traction with Democrats.
In a brief interview, Mace urged the Senate to act promptly on the bill. “There will be no delay,” she asserted regarding any expected hold-up in the Senate.
“The victims want this bill to progress. They’re pleased with what’s in the petition,” she said, clearly advocating for the importance of immediate action.
