The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his approval. The president stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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