The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will require the publication of investigative files concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his Republican allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a individual voting process, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
The public have waited long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
The measure next goes to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president signaled on the previous day that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and said he would give his assent if it reaches his desk.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he feared the measure would reveal identifying details of people, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
Other News Updates
- Trump receives backlash for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation onboard Air Force One.
- Judge blocks ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated Republicans additional districts.
- A significant number of Department of Education's responsibilities transferred to different agencies as part of White House efforts.
- Large-scale operations move to Raleigh, with representatives noting ongoing activities.
