The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will force the release of official records related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next goes to Donald Trump for his signature. He stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though Trump has for months dismissed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public identifying details of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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