The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of official records concerning the deceased sex offender 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 changed course after an extended period of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the top Senate Democrat stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to the president for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who said he worried the measure would disclose identifying details of people, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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