The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will require the publication of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to the president for his approval. The president signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public specific data of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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