[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 14 (Monday, January 25, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NOMINATION OF JANET LOUISE YELLEN

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, now on a related matter, this 
afternoon, the Senate will confirm Dr. Janet Yellen, the former Chair 
of the Federal Reserve, to serve as President Biden's Secretary of the 
Treasury. Her speedy confirmation will contrast sharply with the way 
the Senate Democratic minority handled many of the last President's key 
Cabinet nominations 4 years ago.
  Secretary Mnuchin had to sit through a stunt where Senate Democrats 
literally boycotted his committee hearing. He was not confirmed until 
mid-February.
  Dr. Yellen came out of committee on a unanimous vote and will begin 
to work 5 days after the inauguration. That is even faster than 
Secretary Geithner's nomination in 2009 in the teeth of a financial 
crisis.
  This certainly isn't because Dr. Yellen's or President Biden's 
economic policy views have unanimous support here in the Senate. I 
expect we will have no shortage of spirited policy discussions with Dr. 
Yellen in the months ahead, especially if some Democrats keep trying to 
use this historic emergency as a pretext--a pretext to push through 
permanent far-left policy changes.
  The 50 Senators on our side have great confidence in our pro-job, 
pro-worker vision that helped build the greatest job market in living 
memory. But the simple fact is that, when the American people elect a 
President and when the President selects qualified and mainstream 
people for key posts, the whole Nation deserves for them to be able to 
assemble their team.
  I will be voting to confirm Dr. Yellen today. I look forward to 
working together on pro-growth policies that will help rebuild the 
thriving economy for American workers that was in place just 1 year 
ago.

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