The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday passed without delay to a measure that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House voted decisively for the bill on a massive majority.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before requesting the chamber to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The measure next goes to the president for his signature. The president stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Even though the president has for an extended period dismissed the controversy over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the past few days, and announced he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Response
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their representatives who were seated in a viewing area, applauded after the bill was passed. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would make public personal information of individuals involved, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
Additional Stories
- Trump receives backlash for calling a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation onboard Air Force One.
- Judge rejects ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in the state of Texas that allocated GOP extra districts.
- A significant number of US education agency’s authorities reassigned to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations move to the state's capital, with authorities confirming ongoing activities.
