The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of official records associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. The president stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would disclose specific data of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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