The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next will be sent to Trump for his endorsement. Trump stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump 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 legislation over the past few days, and said he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he was concerned the measure would make public identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others implicated in the investigation.
Other News Updates
- Trump is under fire for referring to a journalist as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation aboard Air Force One.
- Judge blocks ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that awarded Republicans additional districts.
- A significant number of Department of Education's authorities moved to different agencies as part of administration efforts.
- Mass federal immigration sweeps move to North Carolina capital, with representatives noting ongoing activities.
