The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to the president for his approval. The president indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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