The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the joint action involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his signature. Trump stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for an extended period rejected the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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