The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-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 block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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