The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will force the release of case documents related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to the president for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he feared the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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