Almost a full year into his presidency, President Biden has failed to fill vacancies on the United States Sentencing Commission. Only one of the seven positions is currently filled on the commission, which sets federal sentencing guidelines for many crimes. The failure to fill these vacancies prevents the commission from even meeting the required quorum of four voting members, rendering it effectively powerless. President Trump nominated five members to the commission in August of 2020, but the Senate took no action on the Trump nominees. The U.S. Judicial Conference recommended six judges in April of 2021 for nomination, but President Biden has taken no steps to nominate a single judge.
