Tillis Drops Block, Clearing Way for Warsh as Fed Chair
Tillis said he will back Kevin Warsh after DOJ ended its probe into Jerome Powell, removing a key hurdle as the Senate committee prepares to vote on the nomination.
Straight Arrow NewsTillis to end blockade of Warsh confirmation after DOJ drops Powell probe
Washington ExaminerTillis says he'll confirm Trump Fed chairman nominee Kevin Warsh
CBS NewsTillis says he's prepared to move forward with Kevin Warsh's nomination for Fed chair
Daily CallerKey GOP Senate Holdout Against Trump Fed Nominee Backs Down, Says He'll Vote To Confirm
Overview
On April 26, Sen. Thom Tillis said he will support Kevin Warsh’s confirmation after the Department of Justice ended its investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Tillis's reversal removes a key blockade in the Senate Banking Committee, which has 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats and could otherwise be deadlocked by a single Republican defection.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said her office turned the probe to Fed Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said DOJ would investigate if the inspector general uncovers criminal conduct.
The Federal Reserve’s renovation project is now estimated at $2.5 billion after earlier $1.9 billion estimates, and President Trump had said the work would cost $3.1 billion on television.
The Senate Banking Committee planned to vote on Warsh’s nomination on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the full Senate could take up confirmation afterward as Powell’s chair term is scheduled to end on May 15.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a settled, procedural resolution that clears the way for Warsh by emphasizing DOJ assurances and the judge's quashing of subpoenas. Editorial choices—headlines stressing the blockade ending, leads foregrounding Tillis's vote, selective background on Powell-Trump tensions—accentuate Fed independence concerns while relying mainly on quoted officials for contested claims.