WASHINGTON —Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Kansas and Missouri members of the House were forced to go on the record on whether to release the files. U.S. Senators did not face a roll call vote on the bill.
The House voted overwhelmingly 427-1 in favor of the bill Tuesday afternoon. Kansas and Missouri members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the bill. U.S. Senators did not have to go on the record on whether to release the files. The U.S. Senate agreed by unanimous consent to approve the House-passed bill.
Unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate is a procedure where a measure is passed, or action is taken, as long as no senator objects. This allows for the swift passage of legislation without the need for a formal roll call vote
The only no vote in Congress against releasing the files came from Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump.
The bill now goes to President Trump’s desk for his signature compelling the Justice Department to release the files.