The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will require the publication of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House relented after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next goes to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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