The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to Trump for his approval. Trump indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the outcry over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were seated in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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