The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will require the publication of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next goes to Donald Trump for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a viewing area, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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