The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will force the release of case documents concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his approval. The president stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would disclose personal information of people, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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