The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before asking the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next heads to the president for his signature. He stated on Monday that he would sign the measure.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the controversy over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would approve it if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their representatives who were watching from a public section, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would make public identifying details of individuals involved, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
Additional Stories
- The president is under fire for referring to a journalist as ‘piggy’ during a disagreement onboard Air Force One.
- Judge rejects ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that awarded GOP additional districts.
- Many of Department of Education's responsibilities transferred to other branches as part of White House efforts.
- Raids move to Raleigh, with authorities confirming ongoing activities.
