Lisa Cook, a Black Economist, Becomes 1st Black Woman to Sit on Federal Reserve Board

From [HERE] The Senate voted to confirm Lisa Cook to the Federal Reserve, making her the first Black woman to sit on the central bank’s board.

Ms. Cook was approved Tuesday on a party-line vote, 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking a tie. Ms. Cook is the second Fed nominee of President Biden to win Senate confirmation, following Fed governor Lael Brainard, who was approved as the central bank’s vice chairwoman last month. 

Ms. Cook’s confirmation Tuesday evening paves the way for lawmakers to confirm two additional picks this week, including Jerome Powell, whose four-year term as chairman expired in February. He has been serving in an acting capacity since then and is poised to win bipartisan support for a second term as chairman. Philip Jefferson, an economist at Davidson College, is a Fed board nominee who won unanimous support from the Senate Banking Committee in March. [MORE]