The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the late 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 changed course after an extended period of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The bill next will be sent to the president for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, 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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