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U.S. Senate votes overwhelmingly to confirm Yellen as first female Treasury chief

26 January 2021 04:01 (UTC +04:00)

Janet Yellen won overwhelming Senate confirmation as the first female U.S. Treasury secretary on Monday, setting her quickly to work with Congress on coronavirus relief, reviewing U.S. sanctions policy and strengthening financial regulation, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The Senate voted 84-15 to confirm Yellen, with all opposition coming from Republicans, several of whom have expressed concerns about President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid proposal, tax and spending plans.

The Senate later on Monday evening was expected to receive articles of impeachment against former President Donald Trump, a move that has also stoked some partisan divisions.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Yellen had made history for a second time, seven years after she became the first woman to chair the Federal Reserve.

“At the Treasury Department, there are long hallways where portraits hang of all 77 Treasury Secretaries — all men, all the way back to Alexander Hamilton,” Schumer wrote on Twitter. “I’m thrilled to vote for Janet Yellen today and add the first portrait of a woman to that hallway.”