The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next goes to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for months rejected the uproar over the official management of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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