🔗 Share this article Senate Approves Legislation to Make Public Epstein Files The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course 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 Approval in Both Chambers The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally. The public have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.” Next Steps This legislation next will be sent to the president for his approval. The president indicated on the previous day that he would approve the bill. Even though Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him. Support and Opposition Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were seated in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would disclose specific data of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation. Other Headlines Trump receives backlash for calling a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation onboard Air Force One. Judge disallows ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated GOP more districts. A significant number of Department of Education's responsibilities transferred to other federal departments as part of White House efforts. Raids extend to North Carolina capital, with authorities confirming ongoing activities.