The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to the president for his approval. He stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their representatives who were seated in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he feared the measure would reveal personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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