The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-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 forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to Trump for his endorsement. Trump indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he feared the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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