The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. He signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would reveal identifying details of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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