The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will require the publication of case documents related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to the president for his approval. He stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would reveal identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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