The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of case documents related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to the president for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he was concerned the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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