The United States Senate has blocked Judy Shelton's nomination as a member of the Federal Reserve Board. The economist was nominated by President Donald Trump, but the Senate did not approve her nomination to the central bank.
On Tuesday, the Senate did not move ahead with Trump's controversy-plagued pick to the highly influential central bank. The Senate's Democrats, along with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah, moved to block Shelton's appointment.
The 47-50 vote came as Senators Rick Scott from Florida and Chuck Grassley from Iowa were not present in the chambers and couldn't vote. They are both quarantining at home after being exposed to the coronavirus.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he might consider bringing the nomination back, provided Republicans can reassemble their members, Aljazeera reported. Senior Senator Chuck Grassley tweeted a statement about being exposed to the coronavirus, adding that he will immediately quarantine following his doctor's orders and wait for the test results.
In his statement, Grassley, 87, went on to say that he is feeling well and isn't experiencing any symptoms. He said it is important for everyone to follow public health guidelines to keep each other safe. This is the first time in 27 years he has missed a vote.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris dealt another severe blow to Shelton, Trump's campaign adviser in 2016, and whose name was first nominated for the position over a year ago. The Senator from California was in the chamber for the first time after she and President-elect Joe Biden won the election to cast her vote against Shelton.
Shelton's confirmation was expected to be controversial among the GOP, considering her atypical economic views that make her different from the mainstream, according to NPR. She previously raised questions over the central bank's mission and shown support for the gold standard, which ties the dollar to physical gold and would considerably restrict the amount of money in circulation.
Moreover, Shelton's views on interest rates coincide with Trump’s. She criticized easy money before Trump took office but supported it after he became the president. He has also raised questions regarding the Fed’s requirement to independently set policy without including the Congress or the president.
During her Senate confirmation process, Shelton described the Fed’s zero rates and bond-buying in the last crisis as "extreme." Three Republican senators, including Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, and Lamar Alexander, opposed her confirmation.