The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to legislation that will require the publication of official records concerning the late pedophile 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 relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to the president for his endorsement. The president signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for an extended period dismissed the uproar over the official management of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a viewing area, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would make public personal information of people, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
Other Headlines
- The president is under fire for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a clash aboard Air Force One.
- Judge rejects ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated GOP additional districts.
- A significant number of Department of Education's powers reassigned to other branches as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations move to the state's capital, with authorities reporting ongoing activities.
