Leah Selk has joined the office of Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) as communications director effective May 1. Selk spent nearly four years in the office of Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) before moving to the Nebraska Republican's office.

Background

Selk joined Young's office in May 2021 as a state scheduling assistant, a role she held for four months before stepping away. She returned in April 2022 as digital director/deputy press secretary, then was elevated to press secretary in June 2024, a position she held until departing for Ricketts' office this month. She holds a BA in public relations from Taylor University, graduating in 2021.

Her tenure in Young's office covered a turbulent stretch for the Indiana Republican. Young was a lead sponsor of the CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in August 2022, which drew sustained criticism from within the GOP and became a flashpoint in early 2025 when President Trump called for its repeal. Young publicly said the repeal push "caught him by surprise." Selk also served as press secretary during the February 2025 confirmation battle over Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, in which Young was a key swing vote before ultimately voting to confirm her.

Sen. Ricketts' Portfolio

Ricketts sits on several committees with active legislative calendars, including the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Budget Committee, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

His most significant legislative achievement this Congress was S.J.Res.28, a joint resolution nullifying a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule that would have subjected large digital payment app companies to CFPB supervision. It was signed into law on May 9, 2025, becoming Public Law 119-11. Ricketts also sponsored the AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025, which would tighten oversight of foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land, and the Safe and Smart Federal Purchasing Act, directing the Office of Management and Budget to examine whether lowest-bid federal procurement practices create national security risks.

On the foreign policy front, Ricketts chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy Subcommittee, and sponsored S.Res.409, a resolution reaffirming U.S. security commitments to the Philippines amid Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

Upcoming Activity

Several hearings are on the near-term calendar across Ricketts' committees. The Senate Banking Committee has scheduled a business meeting to consider H.R.3633, legislation focused on digital commodities regulation. The Environment and Public Works Committee has a hearing scheduled on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. The Special Committee on Aging has a hearing scheduled on supporting families in the sandwich generation.

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