The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration relented after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
The public have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to the president for his approval. The president indicated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would make public specific data of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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