The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of case documents concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to the president for his signature. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period rejected the outcry over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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