The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to the president for his endorsement. He stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although Trump has for months downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their advocates who were seated in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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