The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will require the publication of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
The public have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to Trump for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a House gallery, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public identifying details of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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