The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. He signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months dismissed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would reveal specific data of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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