The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a measure that will force the release of investigative files concerning the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a change of position by the president and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, expediting the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a 427-1 tally.
The public have been patient long enough. Those affected have suffered long enough,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Uncover the facts. Allow openness to prevail.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his endorsement. Trump signaled on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the official management of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he voiced approval for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Response
Democrats, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who said he feared the measure would reveal personal information of witnesses, persons of interest and others caught up in the investigation.
Other Headlines
- Trump is under fire for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation aboard Air Force One.
- Judge blocks ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in Texas that gave GOP additional districts.
- Many of US education agency’s responsibilities transferred to different agencies as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations move to Raleigh, with representatives noting ongoing activities.
