The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to Trump for his approval. Trump stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for months rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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