The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to Trump for his approval. The president signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for months rejected the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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