WASHINGTON: US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday named former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as his choice for Treasury secretary. "Janet Yellen is nominated to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. If confirmed, she will be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department in its 231-year history," Biden's transition team said in a statement.
The 74-year-old previously broke barriers as the first female Fed chief, and will be tasked with revitalizing the coronavirus-stricken US economy if confirmed by the Senate.
Biden announced Yellen's nomination -- which was first reported last week -- along with a number of other officials who would fill out his administration's economic team once he takes office in late January.
"As we get to work to control the virus, this is the team that will deliver immediate economic relief for the American people during this economic crisis and help us build our economy back better than ever," Biden said in a statement.