The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of case documents related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Trump for his approval. The president indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who said he feared the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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