The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will force the release of case documents related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. The president stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for months rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, 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.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates 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 feared the measure would disclose identifying details of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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