The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of case documents associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration relented after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next goes to the president for his approval. He signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for an extended period rejected the controversy 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 said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said 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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