The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to the president for his approval. He stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a House gallery, 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 personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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