The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will require the publication of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, 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,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next heads to Trump for his endorsement. He stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a public section, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he feared the measure would reveal specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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