The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to Donald Trump for his signature. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for months rejected the outcry over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their advocates who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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