The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will require the publication of investigative files concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team gave in after months of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have been patient long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Future Action
The bill next goes to the president for his signature. He stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the weekend, and said he would approve it if it comes to him.
Reaction
Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
Other News Updates
- The president receives backlash for referring to a correspondent as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation onboard Air Force One.
- Judge rejects ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in Texas that gave GOP more districts.
- Many of Department of Education's powers reassigned to different agencies as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations extend to North Carolina capital, with representatives reporting ongoing activities.
