The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. He signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were seated in a public section, applauded after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, 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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