The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to the president for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for months rejected the controversy over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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