The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after an extended period of trying to forestall the joint action involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next goes to the president for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, applauded after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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