The Senate on Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will require the publication of official records associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next heads to Trump for his endorsement. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their representatives who were watching from a public section, applauded after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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