The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will require the publication of case documents associated with the late 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 changed course after an extended period of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to Trump for his signature. Trump indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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