The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to Trump for his signature. Trump stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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