The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of case documents associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Trump for his approval. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of people, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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