The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will require the publication of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to Trump for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would disclose specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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