The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. He signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for months dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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