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, following a near-unanimous vote in the lower house and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The White House relented after an extended period of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, 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 near-unanimous vote.
“The American people have waited long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his endorsement. The president stated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the controversy over the official management 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 comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a public section, applauded after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would disclose personal information of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
Other Headlines
- The president is under fire for labeling a correspondent as ‘piggy’ during a disagreement onboard Air Force One.
- Judge disallows ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that gave Republicans additional districts.
- A significant number of Department of Education's authorities reassigned to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Raids move to the state's capital, with local officials reporting ongoing activities.
