The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of case documents concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to the president for his approval. Trump stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for months downplayed the uproar 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 sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public specific data of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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