The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would reveal personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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