The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to Trump for his endorsement. Trump indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, applauded after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he worried the measure would disclose personal information of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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