The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of official records concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration relented after months of trying to block the joint action involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. The president signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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