The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will require the publication of case documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for months rejected the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he feared the measure would reveal personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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