Senators used a special procedure to ensure the bill was automatically considered approved, without debate or amendments, as soon as it was sent by the House.
The bill will now be sent to Donald Trump’s desk for signing, as the President of the United States has already stated he will sign the legislation, which he previously opposed for a long time. A group of 218 legislators from both parties had signed a motion to force the House Majority Leader, Republican Mike Johnson, to call for a vote.
President Donald Trump, who maintained a friendship with Epstein from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, had urged Republicans to vote against the bill but changed his position over the weekend, encouraging party members to support the legislation and indicating he is willing to sign it, a crucial step for its implementation.
This change in position, which Democrats believe is due to Trump’s desire not to be seen as a “loser” in Congress, coincides with increased public pressure following the release last week of about 23,000 files related to the case, including Epstein’s emails, suggesting that the now-President was aware of his criminal activities.
