The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents associated with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The administration changed course after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Trump for his endorsement. The president signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for months rejected the outcry over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with victims and their supporters who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
Other News Updates
- The president is under fire for calling a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a clash onboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge disallows ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that gave Republicans extra districts.
- A significant number of US education agency’s authorities moved to other branches as part of White House efforts.
- Large-scale operations expand to Raleigh, with authorities reporting ongoing activities.
