The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of investigative files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Trump's team changed course after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have waited long enough. Those affected have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to Trump for his approval. The president indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their advocates who were present in a public section, cheered after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
Other Stories
- Trump is under fire for referring to a journalist as ‘piggy’ during a clash aboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge rejects ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that gave Republicans additional districts.
- Many of Department of Education's powers reassigned to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations expand to Raleigh, with authorities confirming ongoing activities.
