The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will force the release of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to the president for his signature. He signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for months dismissed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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