The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to the president for his endorsement. He stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for months dismissed the outcry over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were seated in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he was concerned the measure would reveal specific data of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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