The Senate on this Tuesday passed without delay to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a near-unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a shift by the president and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after months of trying to block the bipartisan effort involving a case that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Unanimous Passage in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a massive majority.
The public have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the Senate Democratic leader stated in a floor speech on Tuesday, before requesting the Senate to adopt it by consent. “Let the truth come out. Ensure full disclosure.”
Next Steps
The measure next will be sent to Donald Trump for his approval. The president signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though the president has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “political stunt”, he expressed his backing for the measure over the weekend, and stated he would sign the measure if it comes to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with victims and their representatives who were watching from a viewing area, cheered after the bill was passed. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he was concerned the measure would reveal identifying details of people, potential suspects and others caught up in the investigation.
Additional News Updates
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- Judge disallows ‘discriminatory’ maps in the state of Texas that gave Republicans more districts.
- A significant number of US education agency’s powers moved to other branches as part of administration efforts.
- Mass federal immigration sweeps expand to Raleigh, with representatives reporting ongoing activities.
