Kevin Warsh Fed Chair Advances After Committee Vote
Kevin Warsh Fed chair nomination advanced from committee to the full Senate, making confirmation timing a near-term market variable ahead of the June FOMC.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Senate Banking Committee advanced Kevin Warsh's nomination on a 13-11 party-line vote.
- Committee action sent the nomination to the Republican-controlled full Senate for a confirmation vote.
- Timing of a full Senate vote will determine if Warsh could preside at the June FOMC meeting.
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Kevin Warsh’s nomination for Federal Reserve chair advanced from a Senate committee on April 29, 2026, clearing a procedural hurdle in the Republican-controlled Senate and raising the prospect he could lead the Fed at its June FOMC meeting.
Senate Panel Advances Nomination Amid Partisan Split
The Senate Banking Committee voted 13-11 along party lines to advance Warsh’s nomination during a session from 10:15 a.m. to 1:16 p.m. ET. The panel sent the nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote. Warsh, nominated by President Trump to succeed Jerome Powell, served as a Federal Reserve governor from 2006 to 2011. Powell’s chair term expires May 15, 2026, while his Board of Governors term runs through January 31, 2028.
Opposition Lifted After Disclosure Commitments
At the April 28 confirmation hearing, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced a hold tied to a Justice Department investigation into Powell’s testimony about the Fed’s planned headquarters renovation. Tillis lifted the hold before the committee advanced the nomination. Warsh agreed to divest certain holdings within 90 days of confirmation, though his financial disclosures remained incomplete at the committee stage.
The nomination now moves to the full Senate. The timing of that vote will determine whether Warsh can be confirmed in time to chair the Fed’s June policy meeting.
