The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. He stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for months rejected the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and said he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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