The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. He signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period rejected the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their advocates who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who said he was concerned the measure would disclose specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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