The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. Trump stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who said he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of people, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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