The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next heads to the president for his endorsement. Trump indicated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
Other News Updates
- The president is under fire for referring to a correspondent as ‘piggy’ during a disagreement aboard Air Force One.
- Judge disallows ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated Republicans extra districts.
- Many of Department of Education's responsibilities transferred to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations expand to the state's capital, with local officials confirming ongoing activities.
