The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to the president for his approval. He indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for months downplayed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he feared the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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