President Donald Trump approved a bill that requires the release of documents related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, and a move to repeal the minimum age to buy a rifle or long gun has cleared its first Florida House subcommittee vote.
Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files
President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday that compels his administration to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, bowing to political pressure from his own party after initially resisting those efforts.
“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” Trump said in a social media post as he announced he had signed the bill.
Now, the bill requires the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in a federal prison in 2019, within 30 days. It allows for redactions about Epstein’s victims for ongoing federal investigations, but DOJ cannot withhold information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
The House passed the legislation on a 427-1 vote, with Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., being the sole dissenter. He argued that the bill’s language could lead to the release of information on innocent people mentioned in the federal investigation. The Senate later approved it unanimously, skipping a formal vote.
A plan to repeal the minimum age to purchase a rifle clears first hurdle
A Florida House subcommittee voted in favor of legislation that would repeal the minimum age requirement to purchase a rifle or long gun in the state.
The move marks a step toward undoing one of the most significant restrictions on guns implemented after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Democratic State Rep. Christine Hunschofsky was the former mayor of Parkland when that shooting happened. She sits on the criminal justice subcommittee and called the issue a personal one for her.
“It gets harder when we talk about rights and we kind of gloss over the rights of the 14 teenagers who never graduated high school, and the three teachers who were gunned down,” Hunschofsky said.
The measure was sponsored by Florida House Majority Leader Tyler Sirois. He suggested the measure would align gun rights for 18-year-olds with constitutional rights like voting, jury service, and more.
Some Republicans also pointed out that the law currently allows 18-year-olds to receive and own a long gun, it only stops them from buying one.
“How is it fair that a young adult from a well-off family can get a long gun as a gift and protect their home and their family, but a young adult with no family support can not?” State Rep. Jessica Baker said. “So, we’re saying you can defend yourself, but only if you have parents who can afford to give you a long gun. Eighteen-to 20-year-olds are legally adults. They work full time, they pay taxes, and they serve in the military. If it’s legal for them to own the gun, they should be able to legally buy the gun,”
Ultimately, the bill passed the subcommittee by an 11-to-4 vote.
There is no companion bill in the Senate, though, so it is unclear whether the measure has a path to becoming law during the upcoming session.