The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will require the publication of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to Trump for his approval. Trump signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the uproar over the official management of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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