The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will force the release of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next goes to Trump for his approval. Trump stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he was concerned the measure would disclose specific data of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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