The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will require the publication of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the US House of Representatives and a reversal by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration changed course after months of trying to forestall the bipartisan effort involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
Senators proceeded by general agreement, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, speeding up the process. Just before, the House voted decisively for the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. The survivors have waited patiently,” Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to pass it unanimously. “Reveal the truth. Let transparency reign.”
Future Action
The bill next heads to Donald Trump for his signature. The president signaled on Monday that he would approve the bill.
Though Trump has for months downplayed the uproar over the authorities' approach of the investigation as a “Democrat hoax”, he signalled his support for the House bill over the weekend, and said he would sign the measure if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
Democrats, along with those affected and their advocates who were watching from a House gallery, broke into applause after the bill was approved. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who said he feared the measure would disclose identifying details of witnesses, potential suspects and others involved in the investigation.
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- A significant number of Department of Education's powers reassigned to other branches as part of administration efforts.
- Large-scale operations extend to Raleigh, with representatives confirming ongoing activities.
