The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to the president for his endorsement. He signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
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