Ballotpedia's Daily Transition Tracker - April 15, 2021

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The Biden administration announced several sanctions against Russia.

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Welcome to the Weekly Transition Tracker

April 15, 2021

Every weekday, Ballotpedia is tracking key presidential appointments, executive actions, and policy developments from the Biden administration.

We will publish The Transition Tracker daily through April 16, followed by weekly editions each Friday for the remaining two weeks of Biden's first 100 days in office.

BALLOTPEDIA

The following committee hearings are scheduled on Thursday:
- The Senate Finance Committee is holding confirmation hearings for Andrea Palm for deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and Chiquita Brooks-LaSure for administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is holding a confirmation hearing for James Kvaal for under secretary of education.
- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote on the nomination of Samantha Power for administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

The Senate confirmed Brenda Mallory as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality by a 53-45 vote. Three Republicans supported her nomination: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), and Rob Portman (Ohio).

News

The Biden administration announced several sanctions against Russia on Thursday in response to its cyberattacks and efforts to influence elections. After June 14, U.S. financial institutions will not be able to purchase bonds from or lend to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. Additionally, 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C., are being expelled, and six Russian tech companies and 32 individuals are being sanctioned.

Biden announced he had selected Erika Moritsugu as the Asian American and Pacific Islander senior liaison and deputy assistant to the president.

Transition in Context: Congressional Approval Rating

The following chart compares congressional approval ratings during the administrations of Presidents Donald Trump (R) and Joe Biden (D) on a week-over-week basis. This number is taken from the 30-day average of polls conducted by a select list of polling organizations and outlets. Click here to read the list of polling organizations used.

Congress' approval rating during the 11th week of President Biden's term was 24.2%, down 0.4 percentage points from the week before. At the same point in President Trump's term, Congress' approval rating was 15.8%, down 2.7 percentage points from the week before.