The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. He indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he worried the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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