The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The administration relented after an extended period of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to Trump for his approval. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for months downplayed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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