The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of case documents related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to the president for his signature. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months dismissed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose specific data of people, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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