The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will require the publication of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after an extended period of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to Trump for his endorsement. Trump stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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