The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his approval. The president indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for months downplayed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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