The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of case documents concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The measure next heads to Trump for his signature. He indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for months downplayed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who said he worried the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
Additional Headlines
- Trump faces criticism for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a disagreement aboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge disallows ‘discriminatory’ maps in Texas that awarded GOP extra districts.
- A significant number of US education agency’s powers reassigned to other federal departments as part of White House efforts.
- Large-scale operations move to Raleigh, with representatives reporting ongoing activities.
