The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. He indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for months dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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