The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for months downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their advocates who were present in a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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