The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of case documents concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would make public specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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