The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to legislation that will require the publication of official records related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the lower house and a reversal by the president and his GOP allies. Trump's team relented after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but does not require a individual voting process, expediting the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have been patient long enough. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. The president indicated on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Although the president has for an extended period dismissed the outcry over the official management of the scandal as a “Democrat hoax”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Reaction
The Democratic party, along with those affected and their supporters who were present in a public section, broke into applause after the bill was passed. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who expressed concern he feared the measure would disclose specific data of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
Additional News Updates
- Trump faces criticism for referring to a correspondent as ‘piggy’ during a disagreement onboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge disallows ‘racially gerrymandered’ maps in Texas that awarded GOP additional districts.
- A significant number of Department of Education's authorities moved to other federal departments as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations expand to North Carolina capital, with representatives reporting ongoing activities.
