US Sentencing Commission Restocked After Senate Confirmations

The Senate confirmed President Biden’s seven nominees to the US Sentencing Commission, fully restocking the panel and giving it the quorum needed to create guidance for the first time since 2019.

The bipartisan group of nominees were confirmed by voice vote, or without a formal tally, Thursday night. The new panel will be led by US District Judge Carlton Reeves, who is the first Black chair in the commission’s history.

In the absence of a quorum, the Sentencing Commission hasn’t been able to update guidance for judges since the passage of the First Step Act in December 2018, a ...