The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to the president for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the uproar over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would reveal personal information of people, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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