(Reuters) – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin is seeking to meet with Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard and would like to hold a follow-up meeting with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the two main candidates President Joe Biden is considering to run the central bank, according to a report by Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-19/manchin-seeks-meeting-with-fed-s-brainard-follow-up-with-powell.
Manchin has not yet decided whether to support Brainard or Powell for the job, according to the report. After meeting with Powell earlier in the week, Manchin said on Thursday that he was looking favorably at the prospect of Powell being renominated as Fed chair after the two spoke and discussed his views on inflation, according to a spokesperson.
Manchin supported Powell’s nomination the first time around, but has more recently expressed worries about rising inflation and the Fed’s bond-buying program.
Biden is expected to choose a nominee for Fed chair before next Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday.
(Reporting by Jonnelle Marte and Ann Saphir; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
