Congress Passes Bill to Release Jeffrey Epstein Documents
The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
The public have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
This legislation next goes to the president for his signature. The president signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the official management of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who said he worried the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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