The Senate voted 84-15 in favor on Monday to confirm Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury.
Yellen becomes the first woman to hold this position in 232 years.
The Upper House receives the impeachment charge against former President Donald Trump from the House of Representatives on Monday, but still plans to try to confirm more candidates from President Joe Biden's Cabinet.
As part of her testimony during her confirmation hearing on January 19, Yellen told lawmakers that
the country is headed for a major recession unless they "act big."
“Neither the president-elect nor I propose this aid package without appreciating the country's debt burden.
But right now, with interest rates at record lows, the smartest thing to do is go big.
In the long term, I think the benefits will far outweigh the costs, especially if we care about helping people who have been struggling for a long time, ”Yellen said.
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In a statement Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the merits of Yellen, who had already held important roles under previous administrations such as Barack Obama.
"
Janet Yellen, of course, is no stranger to this chamber. She has been confirmed by the Senate no less than four times, and on Friday the Finance committee reported favorably on her in a unanimous vote. Bipartisan support for the multiple nominations of Ms. Yellen reflects the impressive range of her experience, and how well prepared she is to handle the economic challenges of our time. "
Yellen was born and raised in a working-class Brooklyn family during the Great Depression, the daughter of a school teacher and a doctor.
He graduated from Brown and Yale Universities and has taught economics at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world.
She is best known for her tenure as chair of the Federal Reserve, when she oversaw the economic recovery after the global financial crisis of 2008.