The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of official records associated with the late 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 changed course after months of trying to block the joint action involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
The public have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for months rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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