The federal judiciary and the U.S. Supreme Court would receive increased funding for security in a bill approved by a U.S. House subcommittee. The judiciary would receive $774.4 million for court security, a 4% boost, while the court would get extra funding to support protection of justices' homes. The bill next goes to the full House Appropriations Committee, where several lawmakers said they plan try to amend it. Reuters has more on the proposal.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles' campaign finance reports have been under scrutiny and were the basis of an ethics complaint filed against him in January by the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign finance watchdog group. According to the Nashville Banner, Ogles amended nearly a dozen past campaign finance reports this week, acknowledging that a reported $320,000 personal loan he made to his campaign never happened and was a "pledge if needed." Axios Nashville reports that in April, Ogles filed a disclosure showing he had about $449,000 cash on hand, including the $320,000. On his amended form, the outstanding obligation was reduced to $20,000.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the "Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act," which would require event ticket sellers to disclose the total cost of tickets upfront to consumers, including so-called hidden fees. According to The Hill, lawmakers say the bill is aimed at increasing transparency in the live event ticket marketplace by requiring the full cost of event tickets to be disclosed to consumers upfront. The bill also seeks to ban sales of tickets that sellers do not have and guarantee refunds for event cancellations, according to a release detailing the measure. The bill also has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee today approved a measure asking the Department of Justice to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. The party line vote moves the measure to the House Oversight Committee, which is expected to vote this evening, The Hill reports. The committees are seeking access to audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. While they already have transcripts of the proceeding, Republican members argue that the audio recordings could be more revealing. The Biden administration recently claimed executive privilege over the recordings, making it unlikely the department would pursue charges of criminal contempt even if the measure passed the full Congress.

President Joe Biden last week signed into law a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, that is designed to expand reporting about the sexual exploitation of children online. Under the bill, website and social media companies must report incidents of sex trafficking, grooming or enticement of children for sexual acts to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Companies previously were required to report only on child sexual abuse. The new law also toughens penalties for companies that fail to report crimes, and requires evidence to be preserved for one year, instead of the current 90 days, giving law enforcement more time to investigate and prosecute crimes. The Tennessean has more.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last week approved the nomination of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz of the Western District of Tennessee to serve on the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit. The committee voted 11-10 along party lines, Reuters reports. Tennessee’s senior Republican senator, Marsha Blackburn, who serves on the committee, accused the White House of rushing the nomination through without meaningfully consulting her. She and other Republicans also had questioned Ritz during his confirmation hearing about an ethics complaint they said was filed against him. Ritz denied doing anything wrong and said he was unaware that a complaint had been filed.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that seeks to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses, The Hill reports. The chamber approved the legislation in a bipartisan vote of 320-91. The bill would require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism when enforcing antidiscrimination laws. That group defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” and that “rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism” can be directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has held a hearing on the nomination of U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for a position on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ritz, who serves the Western District of Tennessee, answered questions about past cases he has prosecuted as well as the crime rate in Memphis. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, expressed her displeasure with the Biden administration’s choice of Ritz for the post, accusing him of ethics violations and mistreating public defenders and indigent defendants. Bloomberg Law reports on those allegations. Ritz, who was nominated in March, received a unanimous “well qualified” rating from the American Bar Association. Watch the hearing here. Coverage of Ritz begins at 34:18.

Tennessee Bar Association leaders recently met with the members of the state’s congressional delegation in Washington. D.C., as part of the American Bar Association's (ABA) annual Day on the Hill. TBA President Jim Barry, President-elect Ed Lanquist, YLD President-elect Sean Aiello, ABA Resource Committee Chair Jonathan Cole and Executive Director Sheree Wright participated in the visits and other activities planned as part of the Day on the Hill event. Members of the group met with representatives from all nine congressional offices and both senators. The focus of this year’s ABA Day on the Hill was promoting support and funding for the Legal Services Corporation, as well as increased funding for federal public defenders, support for attorney-client confidentiality over prison email systems, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and reforms to student lending. See photos from the event.

U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, has confirmed that he is looking at a potential 2026 race for governor, The Tennessee Journal reports. “Well, it’s something I’m thinking about,” the three-term congressman and former state agriculture commissioner said after hosting a discussion with Republican state lawmakers in Nashville. Rose, who represents Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District, held the event to discuss federal and state issues. Gov. Bill Lee will be term-limited from running again when his current term expires in 2026.