The Senate on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback 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 individual voting process, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next goes to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for months dismissed the outcry over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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