The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next goes to the president for his endorsement. Trump stated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for months downplayed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their supporters who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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