The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will force the release of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The White House relented after an extended period of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to Trump for his signature. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for months dismissed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their advocates who were seated in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would reveal specific data of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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