The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
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 voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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