The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the deceased 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 White House gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the controversy over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were present in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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