The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will force the release of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to forestall the joint action involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer stated in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to Trump for his approval. He signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Although the president has for months downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were watching from a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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