Congress Greenlights Bill to Disclose Epstein Documents
The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Trump for his endorsement. Trump stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for months rejected the outcry over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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