The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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