The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to Trump for his signature. Trump stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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