Earlier today, U.S. Vice President Kamala D. Harris administered the oath of office to Janet L. Yellen. Secretary Yellen is the first woman to lead the U.S. Department of the Treasury in its 231-year history, and the first person to have served as Treasury Secretary, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, and Chair of the Federal Reserve. She has previously been confirmed by the Senate on four separate occasions.
The Secretary of the Treasury is an appointed Cabinet-level position in the U.S. federal government that acts as an advisor to the President and the other Cabinet members on economic issues. For the country, the Secretary oversees important financial functions, including paying the nation’s bills, printing money, and collecting taxes. Yellen replaces the Trump-era appointee, Steven Mnuchin.