The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
This legislation next goes to Trump for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would disclose specific data of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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