The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to block the joint action involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Trump for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although Trump has for months dismissed the outcry over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would disclose personal information of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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