Congress Approves Legislation to Disclose Jeffrey Epstein Records
The upper chamber of Congress on Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of investigative files related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration gave in after months of trying to block the cross-party initiative involving a case that has dogged the president since his comeback to the White House.
Expedited Passage in Both Chambers
Senators proceeded by unanimous consent, which needs acceptance from each senator but avoids a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have endured sufficient delay. The survivors have waited long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a address to the chamber on Tuesday, before urging the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The measure next goes to Trump for his approval. The president stated on the previous day that he would sign the measure.
Although Trump has for an extended period rejected the uproar over the government’s handling of the investigation as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the measure over the weekend, and announced he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their advocates who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a Louisiana Republican, who stated he was concerned the measure would disclose personal information of individuals involved, persons of interest and others implicated in the investigation.
Additional Headlines
- Trump receives backlash for referring to a female Bloomberg reporter as ‘piggy’ during a confrontation onboard Air Force One.
- Federal judge rejects ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that awarded Republicans additional districts.
- A significant number of Department of Education's authorities reassigned to other federal departments as part of White House efforts.
- Mass federal immigration sweeps extend to the state's capital, with local officials confirming ongoing activities.
