Senate confirms Powell and Stein to Fed board

(WASHINGTON) — Jeremy Stein, a member of the Federal Reserve Board, says that he plans to resign next month to return to Harvard University. In a letter to President Barack Obama, Stein says that he will resign effective May 28 and return to Harvard, where he had been an economics professor since 2000. Stein had been on the seven-member Fed board since 2012.

(WASHINGTON) — Jeremy Stein, a member of the Federal Reserve Board, says that he plans to resign next month to return to Harvard University. In a letter to President Barack Obama, Stein says that he will resign effective May 28 and return to Harvard, where he had been an economics professor since 2000. Stein had been on the seven-member Fed board since 2012.

The US Senate on Monday confirmed President Barack Obama's pick to head the FBI at a time of heightened scrutiny of US intelligence operations. James Comey, a respected former deputy attorney general, sailed through on a 93-1 vote, with two senators voting present.

When the Federal reserve Board is fully staffed, the Board members outnumber the regional bank presidents 7-5 on the FOMC (the committee that sets monetary policy). Presently, however, the power balance has shifted and it may shift even more:

The Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama's two nominees to the Federal Reserve Board, bringing the seven-member board to full strength for the first time since April 2006.

I have a new column:

President Barack Obama's two nominees to the Federal Reserve appear likely to fall victim to a long-running political feud, which would leave the cen