USGLC

Janet Yellen is America’s first female Secretary of the Treasury. As the chief financial officer for the U.S. government, she is responsible for ensuring the financial security of the United States and the nation’s participation in the world economy.

Background on her statements on America’s global leadership:

On U.S. global economic leadership:  As Chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018 and Vice Chair from 2010 to 2014, Yellen focused on domestic economic policy and spoke carefully about the Committee’s decisions, but her remarks also highlighted the interconnectedness of the U.S. and global markets.  For example, a statement by the Bank in 2015 noted the influence of “recent global economic and financial developments” on its decisions, with Yellen identifying “heightened uncertainties abroad” including Chinese economic performance as influencing of the thinking on the Bank. (Source)

On Development Finance: In 1998, Yellen highlighted the importance of development finance and multilateral financial institutions in at the Council on Foreign Relations, saying “it is particularly important that Congress provide the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with the resources it needs to help stabilize the Asian economies.”

On Climate Change: “I think sustainable finance can make a very important contribution on climate change,” said Yellen, in a February 2020 event hosted by Bipartisan Policy Center. She continued, “This is a tremendously challenging matter that requires global cooperation.  I would really like to see the United States be part of that solution.  And I do believe it’s possible to find a bipartisan consensus on ways forward on this.”

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