The Senate confirmed Kimberly Richey to lead the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in a 51–47 party-line vote. Richey, who previously served in OCR under the Bush and Trump administrations, inherits an agency with a backlog of more than 12,000 open investigations and a reduced staff after recent departmental downsizing. Richey faces immediate operational challenges: restoring investigatory capacity, addressing complaints involving Title IX and other civil-rights statutes, and guiding OCR policy while parts of the Education Department remain furloughed during the government shutdown. Senators and education stakeholders signaled concern about staffing, caseloads and the legal environment surrounding OCR’s enforcement authority. Richey told lawmakers she will advocate for resources to rebuild capacity; advocacy groups and campus compliance offices are watching closely for changes in enforcement priorities and guidance that will affect campus investigations and institutional obligations.