The Senate on this Tuesday quickly approved to a measure that will force the release of official records associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer stated in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next goes to Donald Trump for his signature. He signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a House gallery, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he feared the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
Additional Headlines
- Trump faces criticism for referring to a correspondent as ‘piggy’ during a disagreement aboard Air Force One.
- Judge rejects ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that awarded GOP additional districts.
- Many of Department of Education's powers moved to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations extend to North Carolina capital, with authorities confirming ongoing activities.
