The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to Trump for his endorsement. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were seated in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would reveal specific data of individuals involved, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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