Congress Passes Bill to Make Public Jeffrey Epstein Records
The Senate on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will force the release of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The administration gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next heads to Trump for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who stated he feared the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
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