The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous 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, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
This legislation next goes to Trump for his signature. He signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were seated in a public section, applauded after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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