The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, applauded after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he feared the measure would disclose specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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