(Washington) Several elected Republicans boycotted a vote on Tuesday on the candidates chosen by Joe Biden to lead the American central bank, the Fed, accusing these economists of being “extremely controversial”.
Posted yesterday at 3:40 p.m.
These three candidates, praised among others by the president for the diversity they would bring to the institution, are at the heart of a political battle in the American Congress.
Republicans on the commission to review these nominations refused Tuesday to attend one of its meetings, effectively paralyzing the process of confirming candidates.
“We are not looking to delay the vote, we are looking for answers,” pleaded Senator Pat Toomey, accusing one of the president’s candidates of “evasive” and “dishonest” positions.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki called the stance “totally irresponsible.” “Republicans just say inflation is a problem. […] and they don’t even bother to show up and vote against these candidates,” she blasted.
Sarah Bloom Raskin, former number two in the Treasury under the Obama administration and chosen by Joe Biden for the key post of Fed vice-president in charge of banking supervision, concentrates most of the criticism from the Republican camp.
” [Mme] Raskin wants our banking system to start picking winners and losers so that American families end up with higher gas and electric bills,” charged Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
He also blamed Lisa Cook, who would become the first African-American female Fed governor, for “pushing conspiracy theories” around racism and the police.
The Democrats strongly denounced the boycott of the Republicans.
“Rather than show up for their job, do their job, Republicans have abandoned the American people,” charged the head of the Congressional Banking Committee, Sherrod Brown.