The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will force the release of case documents concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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