The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to the president for his signature. The president signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for months downplayed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from Clay Higgins, who said he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
Additional News Updates
- Trump receives backlash for labeling a journalist as ‘piggy’ during a clash onboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge blocks ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that gave GOP more districts.
- A significant number of US education agency’s powers moved to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Mass federal immigration sweeps expand to Raleigh, with representatives confirming ongoing activities.
