The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration relented after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to the president for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would reveal identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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