Senate Republicans’ bid to confirm Judy Shelton as a Federal Reserve governor appears unlikely to succeed now that a new Democratic senator has been seated, denying President Trump’s nominee the votes needed for approval.
The Senate voted Wednesday to advance the confirmation of another of Mr. Trump’s Fed nominees, Christopher Waller, the research director at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The Senate voted 50-45 to clear a final procedural hurdle before Mr. Waller’s confirmation vote, which is likely to occur Thursday.
Mr. Waller, whose term would run through January 2030, has attended meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee this year in his capacity at the St. Louis Fed. He headed the University of Notre Dame’s economics department before joining the regional Fed bank in 2009.
Republicans’ majority in the U.S. Senate fell to 52-48 on Wednesday when Sen. Mark Kelly (D., Ariz.) was sworn in after winning a special election Nov. 3, defeating Republican Sen. Martha McSally.
Three Republicans are opposed to Ms. Shelton’s nomination. If Mr. Kelly votes with all Senate Democrats and independents, who are opposed, she would lack the necessary support for confirmation so long as all the 51 opposing lawmakers are able to vote.
