The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will force the release of official records related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill 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 supporters who were present in a public section, applauded after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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