The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next will be sent to Trump for his signature. The president stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for months dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a House gallery, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public identifying details of people, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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