The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to the president for his approval. The president signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their advocates who were present in a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would disclose specific data of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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