The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have been patient long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. He stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Even though Trump has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would disclose identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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