The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next heads to Trump for his endorsement. He indicated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the official management of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal specific data of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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