The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will require the publication of official records related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to Trump for his signature. The president stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president 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 House bill over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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