Richard Cordray

After two years of political bickering, Richard Cordray has been confirmed as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He thinks that, in the end, his agency has won bipartisan support for the work it will do.

The vote signaled that the chamber had resolved a dramatic showdown on the rules governing White House nominations.

President Obama's choice to head the Securities and Exchange Commission has prosecuted terrorists and mobsters. If she's confirmed, Mary Jo White's next challenge will be tackling reckless behavior on Wall Street. The success of this get-tough push will depend on changing the SEC's culture, analysts say.

White, who prosecuted terrorists during her time as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, would succeed Mary Schapiro, who stepped down in December. The president is also planning to renominate Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates that last year, banks made $15 billion to $22 billion from the overdrawn-account fees they charge customers. The agency is seeking data from banks so it can help customers avoid such charges. But any changes could lead banks to raise other fees.

Republicans criticized his recess appointment of Richard Cordray to run the new consumer watchdog agency. But Justice lawyers say the Senate wasn't really in session.

Though President Obama may have riled Republicans with his recess appointment of Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, there is bipartisan agreement on Cordray's strong qualifications. Host Scott Simon talks with New York Times columnist Joe Nocera about what's ahead for Cordray.

President Obama bypassed Congress this week in appointing Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and filling vacancies on the National Labor Relations Board. Republicans called the appointments an unconstitutional power grab and said they were made while the Senate was still technically in session.

Melissa Block speaks with our regular political commentators, E.J. Dionne, of the Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks, of the New York Times. They discuss the jobs numbers, Obama's recess appointments and presidential campaign developments.