The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call 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 suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern 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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