The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to the president for his approval. He stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for months dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he worried the measure would disclose specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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