The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next goes to the president for his signature. He stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although Trump has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their advocates who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he feared the measure would make public identifying details of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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