The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued 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 individual voting process, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. He stated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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