The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will require the publication of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next will be sent to Trump for his approval. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months downplayed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who said he feared the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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