Janet Yellen, President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the US Federal Reserve addresses the 29th National Association for Business Economics Policy Conference in Washington in this file photo taken March 4, 2013. Janet Yellen won confirmation from the US Senate on Jan 6, 2014 to take the reins at the Federal Reserve as it seeks to delicately wind down its crisis-era stimulus. [Photo/Agencies] |
The Senate voted 56 to 26 to approve the confirmation.
Yellen, currently the Fed's vice chair, would become the first woman to take the helm of the US central bank in its 100-year history.
She was nominated by President Obama for the post in October and would be the first Democrat to serve the job since 1987.