Wyden Statement on Meeting with Treasury Secretary-Designate Janet Yellen

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on his meeting with Treasury Secretary-Designate Janet Yellen: 

“I had a great conversation today with Secretary-Designate Janet Yellen. Her expertise is unmatched, and there’s no one better equipped to hit the ground running at the Treasury Department.

“Our conversation was centered on the urgent need for economic relief, and the necessity of continued economic support, particularly for jobless workers, as the vaccine is rolled out and the economy begins to improve. Secretary-Designate Yellen knows first-hand the importance of not taking your foot off the gas during a recovery, and is committed to rebuilding an economy that benefits working families and communities of color. To that end, I highlighted my proposals to tie unemployment benefits to economic conditions, equalize the tax treatment of work and wealth, and increase access to capital for women and minority entrepreneurs.

“Our discussion also covered the existential threat of climate change, and Secretary-Designate Yellen’s commitment to addressing climate change is clear. I noted my bill to reform the outdated energy tax code and incentivize clean energy, clean transportation, and energy efficiency.   

“I also raised a number of my long-standing concerns, including discriminatory digital services taxes on American companies, the IRS’ dark-money rule, money laundering, and politicization of FinCen. 

“Lastly, I reiterated to Secretary-Designate Yellen that I’m pushing to move her nomination through the Finance Committee as expeditiously as possible. The American people need and deserve her leadership in this crisis, and there’s no excuse for delay.”

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