The Senate on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, 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 waited long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to Trump for his endorsement. Trump stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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