Brainard wins Senate confirmation to be Fed’s vice chair

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed the nomination of Lael Brainard to a four-year term as vice chair of the Federal Reserve, elevating her to the Fed’s No. 2 post in the midst of the central bank’s toughest fight against inflation in four decades. Her confirmation came in a 52-43 vote in the Senate. President Joe Biden had nominated Brainard in November. Brainard, 60, has been a member of the Fed’s Board of Governors since 2014, and her rise to a leading policymaking role follows an extensive career as an economic official during previous Democratic administrations.