The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were seated in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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