The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded 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. The survivors have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Trump for his signature. The president signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure 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 victims and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he worried the measure would reveal personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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