The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next goes to Donald Trump for his signature. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he feared the measure would make public identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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