The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair Wednesday, though he is expected to face an uphill battle due to pressure from President Donald Trump and opposition from congressional Democrats.
Senate Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee expressed concern that Warsh will do Trump’s bidding regarding economic policy, Politico reported. However, Warsh would likely face fierce backlash from Trump if he did not lower interest rates or were to raise them.
Trump repeatedly threatened to fire the current Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, over his reluctance to quickly cut interest rates to boost the economy. He officially announced his nomination of Warsh on Jan. 30 to replace Powell.
The economy and inflation will also put Warsh in a difficult position, given that a growing number of Fed officials and economists warned against cutting interest rates to counteract inflation, which has skyrocketed since the Iran war began. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) skyrocketed to higher levels than expected in April, while the all items index jumped 3.8% before seasonal adjustment, marking the highest level since May 2023.
Wholesale inflation also jumped 6% annually in April, marking the biggest increase since 2022.
The Senate confirmed Warsh to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in a Tuesday vote, with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania being the only member of his party to vote in favor of the nomination. Other Democratic senators claimed Warsh’s nomination is Trump’s attempt to “take over” the agency.
“Trump has made clear that he wants to do a full takeover of the Fed,” Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.
Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said that Trump nominated Warsh so he would be “first and foremost loyal,” Politico reported.
Republicans have praised Warsh’s credentials, with Republican South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds saying that Democrats would be voting against Warsh simply to rebel against Trump.
“If there is not bipartisan support, it will not be a reflection on him,” Rounds said. “It will be a frustration that Democrat colleagues will be expressing with the administration in general.”
When Trump nominated Powell during his first term, 39 Democrats voted in favor of his confirmation. Thirty-six Republicans voted to confirm Powell when former President Joe Biden nominated him for another term.
During his confirmation hearing in April, Warsh emphasized the importance of the Federal Reserve’s independence as Democrats raised concerns about him taking orders from Trump. Warsh stated he would not be Trump’s “human sock puppet” or take orders from him on interest rates.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped a criminal probe into Powell related to a renovation project for the Federal Reserve building that exceeded the previous $2.5 billion estimates. Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis vowed to block Warsh’s nomination until the Department of Justice (DOJ) eventually ended its investigation into Powell.
Powell said he intends to remain on the Board of Governors, though Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that he would fire Powell from the board if did not step down. His term on the Federal Reserve Board does not expire until Jan. 31, 2028.
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