The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will require the publication of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to Donald Trump for his endorsement. He indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of people, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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