The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of official records associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to the president for his approval. The president signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a public section, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would disclose identifying details of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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