The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next will be sent to the president for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates who were present in a public section, applauded after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would make public identifying details of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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