The Senate on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of official records associated with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Just before, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. He indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Even though Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who stated he worried the measure would reveal specific data of individuals involved, persons of interest and others involved in the investigation.
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