The Administration
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has officially been confirmed as the Supreme Court’s newest Associate Justice. She is the first African American Woman to sit on the highest court in the land, and will replace Justice Steven Breyer, whom she previously clerked for, when the Court’s current term ends this June. Jackson was approved upon a bipartisan vote of 53-47. The three Republican Senators who supported her nomination are Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
President Biden is set to nominate former Ohio U.S. Attorney Steve Dettelbach to be the next director of The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms after the President’s previous nominee failed to earn enough congressional approval. Relatedly, President Biden is announcing new federal rules to restrict ghost guns, which can be ordered for at-home assembly and are virtually untraceable.
President Biden also extended the pause on federal student loan repayments until September, continuing the relief for borrowers which began at the start of the pandemic under President Trump. This is the fourth time the Administration has pushed back the repayment deadline. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki recently stated that she expects payments to resume at some point during the Biden Administration.
The House and the Senate
Though both the House and Senate are not in session this week, there are a handful of hearings to be conducted:
- The House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth will address (1) issues related to “Pathways to Opportunity: Lessons from Kenosha” and (2) Milwaukee Housing Inequality to Improve Financial Security and Expand Wealth-Building.
- The Senate Special Committee on Aging will discuss proposals to lower prescription drug costs.