GOP senators to block vote on Biden Fed picks
By Sylvan Lane - 02/15/22 12:02 PM EST
Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee will block votes on President Biden’s five Federal Reserve nominees, the top GOP senator on the panel announced Tuesday.
In a Tuesday statement, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said GOP members of the Banking panel will not show up for scheduled votes on Biden’s choices to serve on the Fed board, including Fed Chair Jerome Powell. A Senate committee needs at least two members from the minority party to be able to conduct official business, including the approval of presidential nominees.
Toomey said Republican senators decided to block votes on all of Biden’s nominees after Democrats refused to hold back Sarah Bloom Raskin’s nomination to be Fed vice chair of supervision. While Toomey said Raskin’s policy views were “alone disqualifying,” he argued the committee needed more information about her previous employment she refused to provide before advancing her nomination to the Senate floor.
“Important questions about Ms. Raskin’s use of the ‘revolving door’ remain unanswered largely because of her repeated disingenuousness with the Committee,” Toomey said.
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https://thehill.com/policy/finance/594313-gop-senators-to-block-vote-on-biden-fed-picks