The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of official records concerning the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a case that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next goes to the president for his signature. The president stated on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Although Trump has for an extended period downplayed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he feared the measure would make public personal information of people, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
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