The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. Trump stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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