The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for months rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would reveal personal information of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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