The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The administration relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a House gallery, cheered after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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