The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to legislation that will require the publication of official records concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were present in a public section, cheered after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he worried the measure would disclose personal information of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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