The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next goes to the president for his signature. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for months downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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