The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will force the release of case documents concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to block the joint action involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Allow openness to prevail.”
Presidential Signature
This legislation next heads to the president for his signature. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Though the president has for months downplayed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the legislation over the past few days, and stated he would approve it if it comes to him.
Response
The Democratic party, along with victims and their representatives who were present in a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was enacted. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would reveal personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
Additional Headlines
- The president faces criticism for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a clash onboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge blocks ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated Republicans additional districts.
- Many of US education agency’s powers moved to different agencies as part of administration efforts.
- Mass federal immigration sweeps move to the state's capital, with local officials confirming ongoing activities.
