The Senate Banking Committee approved Thursday Jonathan McKernan’s nomination to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau along party lines, 13-11.
The vote came a week after McKernan’s confirmation hearing, where Democrats expressed concern that he would not be able to steer the regulator independently of billionaire special presidential adviser Elon Musk, who has called to eliminate it.
McKernan was one of four nominees the panel advanced. The others were William Pulte, who has been tapped to be director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency; Jeffrey Kessler, nominated for undersecretary of Commerce for industry and security; and Stephen Miran, nominated for chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.
