The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will require the publication of official records concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to the president for his endorsement. The president indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for months downplayed the controversy over the authorities' approach of the Epstein case as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were seated in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he worried the measure would make public personal information of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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