The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will require the publication of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. He stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who said he worried the measure would disclose specific data of individuals involved, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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