The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted 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 voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his approval. The president stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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