Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) released the following statement after the Senate voted (84 to 15) to confirm Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary.

Secretary Yellen previously served as Chair of the Federal Reserve and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). She is the first woman to serve as Treasury Secretary, and the first person to lead CEA, the Federal Reserve and Treasury.

“During these tough economic times, it is so important to have a crisis-tested trailblazer like Secretary Yellen leading the Treasury Department. The country will be counting on her insights, expertise and unmatched experience to help us recover from this crisis.

“Secretary Yellen has made it clear that she will use government as a force for good in the lives of all Americans, including women, people of color, low-wage workers and others who have been disproportionately harmed by the coronavirus. She also indicated in her testimony that she will ensure the Treasury Department brings its resources to bear in the fight against climate change, a priority I applaud.

“Secretary Yellen has demonstrated her willingness to take bold, decisive, and prudent action to help the U.S. economy, and that is what we need now. I congratulate Secretary Yellen on her confirmation, and look forward to working with her on the economic challenges before us.”