The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance 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 427-1 tally.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to the president for his signature. He indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for months rejected the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were seated in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would disclose specific data of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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