The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will require the publication of official records associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to the president for his signature. Trump signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for months rejected the uproar over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he was concerned the measure would disclose identifying details of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
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