Senate narrowly approves Lisa Cook as first Black woman to Federal Reserve Board post

Washington — The Senate confirmed economist Lisa Cook on Tuesday to serve on the Federal Reserve's board of governors, making her the first Black woman to do so in the institution's 108-year history.

Her approval was on a narrow, party-line vote of 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the decisive vote.

Senate Republicans argued that she is unqualified for the position, saying she doesn't have sufficient experience with interest rate policy. They also said  her testimony before the Senate Banking Committee suggested she wasn't sufficiently committed to fighting inflation, which is running at four-decade highs.