The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to delay the bipartisan effort involving a case that has dogged the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have been patient long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Future Action
This legislation next heads to Trump for his approval. The president signaled on the previous day that he would endorse the legislation.
Though the president has for months rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “false narrative”, he voiced approval for the House bill over the past few days, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Response
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. The only opposition came from Clay Higgins, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose specific data of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
Additional Headlines
- The president is under fire for calling a journalist as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation aboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge rejects ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated Republicans more districts.
- Many of Department of Education's responsibilities reassigned to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations move to North Carolina capital, with local officials noting ongoing activities.
