The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will require the publication of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
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 was concerned the measure would reveal specific data of people, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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