The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will require the publication of official records related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a shift by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to the president for his signature. He signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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