The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will require the publication of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to the president for his endorsement. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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