The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill 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 change of position by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the past few days, and said he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he feared the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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