The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of official records associated with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a overwhelming vote in the US House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration relented after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has followed the president since his comeback to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, accelerating the process. Hours earlier, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a 427-1 tally.
“The American people have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer declared in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next will be sent to the president for his endorsement. The president indicated on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though the president has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the scandal as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Reaction
Opposition lawmakers, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a public section, broke into applause after the bill was approved. The only opposition came from a GOP representative, who stated he was concerned the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
Additional News Updates
- The president faces criticism for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a clash aboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge blocks ‘discriminatory’ maps in Texas that allocated GOP more districts.
- Many of Department of Education's authorities reassigned to other branches as part of White House efforts.
- Raids move to the state's capital, with local officials reporting ongoing activities.
