The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. Trump indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for months dismissed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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