The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to Trump for his signature. Trump stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for months dismissed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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