Overview
- The Senate Banking Committee approved former Federal Reserve governor Wash to be the next chair by a majority vote.
- The nomination now moves to the full Senate, where Republicans hold the majority and confirmation is widely expected, with a handoff likely in mid-May when Jerome Powell’s chair term ends.
- The process had been on hold during a Justice Department review of renovation work at Fed headquarters that involved Powell, which prosecutors in Washington have now closed.
- Republican Senator Thom Tillis, a pivotal vote on the committee, said he would support Wash after the probe’s closure removed his chief objection.
- Powell says he will step down as chair on May 15 but remain on the Board as a governor through his term to January 2028, warning that the Fed’s political independence is in crisis as the White House continues to push for rate cuts.