The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will require the publication of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after an extended period of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. The president stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of people, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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