The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a case that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to the president for his endorsement. He indicated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
Additional Headlines
- The president is under fire for referring to a journalist as ‘piggy’ during a clash onboard Air Force One.
- Judge disallows ‘discriminatory’ maps in Texas that allocated GOP additional districts.
- A significant number of US education agency’s responsibilities reassigned to different agencies as part of White House efforts.
- Large-scale operations extend to Raleigh, with authorities confirming ongoing activities.
