The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of official records associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to Donald Trump for his approval. Trump indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who said he feared the measure would reveal specific data of witnesses, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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