Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Friday he will oppose President Donald Trump’s Federal Reserve chair pick until a Justice Department probe into current Fed chief Jerome Powell “is fully and transparently resolved,” a stance that could severely complicate Kevin Warsh’s path to confirmation in the Senate.
The retiring North Carolina lawmaker’s vote is needed to advance Warsh’s nomination through the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees the Fed and considers its nominees.
The Powell investigation centers around statements the Fed chief made before Congress about cost overruns at the central bank’s Washington headquarters. Tillis has said he will oppose any Fed nominee since the probe became public earlier this month.