Senate Banking Committee reports four administration nominees to full Senate after roll-call votes

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Oct. 12, 2025, in an executive session voted to report four presidential nominees to the full Senate: Dr. Stephen Myron to be chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; William (Bill) Pulte to be director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); Jonathan McKernan to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); and Jeffrey Kessler to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security.

The committee moved each nomination to a roll-call vote during the executive session and the clerk announced the outcomes after members cast recorded votes (several votes were cast by proxy). Senator Elizabeth Warren, the panel’s ranking member, delivered a short opening statement and said she would oppose all four nominees. "I will put a longer statement into the record, but briefly I want to explain why I will oppose all 4 nominees today," Warren said. She criticized nominees’ records and answers to post‑hearing questions, saying they "fail to provide meaningful responses" and expressing concern the nominees would favor policies that benefit wealthy interests rather than consumers and working families. Warren also said she had "deep substantive reservations" about the nominees and specifically warned that she could not support moving forward on Mr. McKernan and Mr. Kessler before the FBI completed their background investigations.

Roll-call results announced by the clerk were: Dr. Stephen Myron, reported favorably to the full Senate (13 in favor, 11 opposed); William Pulte, reported favorably (15 in favor, 9 opposed); Jonathan McKernan, reported favorably (13 in favor, 11 opposed); and Jeffrey Kessler, reported favorably (13 in favor, 11 opposed). The chairman moved each nomination to a roll-call vote; the clerk read the roll and recorded individual ayes and noes, including proxy votes. The committee’s orders that the nominations be "reported favorably to the full Senate" mean each nomination will proceed to consideration by the full Senate under Senate rules.

Warren urged that nominees answer follow‑up questions submitted for the record and pressed for completion of background checks. In her remarks she said nominees "veil to provide meaningful responses" to follow‑up questions and accused one nominee of deleting a large number of social‑media posts: "He also refused to provide any of the 25,000 posts that he deleted from X after the election," she said. Warren framed her opposition as part of the committee’s obligation to vet nominees’ views on policy and national security.

Committee procedure in the executive session was brief: the chair established a quorum, announced the intent to move into executive session, allowed Warren two minutes for an opening statement, and then proceeded to roll‑call votes. Several senators registered votes "by proxy," which the clerk noted as part of the roll call. After each announced tally the chairman declared "the ayes have it" and ordered the nominations reported favorably to the full Senate.

Next steps for the nominees are consideration and potential confirmation by the full Senate. The committee made no additional policy directives or amendments related to the nominations during this session.