The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next goes to the president for his approval. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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