The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged 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 avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next will be sent to the president for his signature. Trump indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for months downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he worried the measure would make public specific data of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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