The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. He indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months rejected the uproar over the official management of the Epstein case 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 reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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