Senate Greenlights Legislation to Disclose Jeffrey Epstein Documents
The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of official records associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next goes to Donald Trump for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the measure over the past few days, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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