The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to Trump for his endorsement. The president signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for an extended period rejected the outcry over the official management of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their representatives who were seated in a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would disclose specific data of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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