The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to the president for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would disclose specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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