The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. He stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for months downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would disclose specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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