The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will require the publication of case documents concerning 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 administration gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to the president for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he feared the measure would make public personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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