The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after months of trying to delay the joint action involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next heads to Donald Trump for his approval. The president signaled on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their advocates who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from Clay Higgins, who said he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
Other Stories
- Trump is under fire for referring to a correspondent as ‘piggy’ during a clash aboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge blocks ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that gave Republicans extra districts.
- Many of Department of Education's powers transferred to other branches as part of White House efforts.
- Large-scale operations move to Raleigh, with representatives noting ongoing activities.
