The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he feared the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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