The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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