The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to delay 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 unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to the president for his signature. He indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for months rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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