The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will require the publication of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. He stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for months rejected the controversy over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he worried the measure would make public identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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