The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will require the publication of case documents associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would reveal specific data of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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