The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to block the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose specific data of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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