The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of official records concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, expediting the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people 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 chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to the president for his approval. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were present in a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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