Bernanke Confirmed by Senate for 2nd Term as Fed Chairman
January 29th, 2010Via: Washington Post:
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Ben S. Bernanke for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman, but he scraped by with the narrowest margin in the history of the position and his weakened political standing could weigh on the central bank’s ability to maneuver for years to come.
The Senate voted 70 to 30 to give Bernanke four more years as the nation’s most powerful economic policymaker, after a sometimes heated debate in which members of both parties — including some who eventually voted in his favor — assailed the Fed’s actions under his leadership.
While Bernanke won a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, he received more “no” votes than any Fed chairman before, topping Paul A. Volcker, who was confirmed 84 to 16 in 1983.
