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On Monday, the Senate confirmed Janet Yellen as the first woman to head the Treasury Department in an 84-15 vote.
Lawmakers approved Yellen to serve as Treasury secretary as Congress moves to weigh in on President Joe Biden’s cabinet selections. Yellen previously received unanimous approval from the Senate Finance Committee. As Treasury secretary, Yellen will head up the administration’s efforts to support Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus program, which she highlighted as a primary goal during her confirmation hearing.
Yellen was the first woman to serve as chair of the Federal Reserve. She said in a statement that the Biden administration must be able to provide coronavirus relief before turning to other issues, saying, “Right now, with interest rates at historic lows, the smartest thing we can do is act big,” she said.
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