The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. He signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for months downplayed the uproar over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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