The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, 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 near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next heads to Trump for his approval. He signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though the president has for months downplayed the outcry over the official management of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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