The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
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 massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to the president for his endorsement. The president signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for months dismissed the outcry over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would reveal specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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