The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will force the release of official records associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next goes to the president for his endorsement. He signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Although the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and said he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
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