The Senate on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will force the release of official records concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next will be sent to the president for his approval. The president signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would disclose identifying details of people, potential suspects and others implicated in the investigation.
Additional Headlines
- Trump is under fire for calling a correspondent as ‘piggy’ during a clash aboard Air Force One.
- Judge disallows ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that awarded Republicans extra districts.
- A significant number of Department of Education's powers reassigned to other federal departments as part of White House efforts.
- Raids expand to Raleigh, with authorities confirming ongoing activities.
