The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he feared the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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