The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of case documents associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next heads to Trump for his signature. Trump stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for months dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were seated in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of individuals involved, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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