The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of people, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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