Sen. Tim Scott says Jerome Powell declined a hearing date, calls Powell 'unprepared' but not criminal; signals quick review of Kevin Warsh nomination

Sen. Tim Scott said in an interview that he had requested Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to testify before the Senate Banking Committee and that Powell declined an earlier proposed February date.

"We had it scheduled for February the 11th. They declined to come," Scott said. He added that the Justice Department matter involving Powell has complicated scheduling and that "when he was before the committee he definitely was unprepared — I think he was woefully unprepared — but he did not create a criminal act when he was before the committee." Scott said he hoped related legal proceedings would be resolved so the committee could move forward.

Scott said he expects committee consideration of Kevin Warsh's nomination to proceed quickly now that the administration has delivered final paperwork. "We got the final paperwork from the administration just a week or so ago. So we are now in the process of looking at our calendar and getting him on board as soon as possible," Scott said, adding that Sen. Thom Tillis was supportive.

Scott described efforts to coordinate timing and noted that changes in prosecutorial staffing had, in his view, reduced obstacles to moving forward; he characterized those points as his beliefs rather than as definitive legal outcomes.

No committee hearing date was set in the interview and Scott did not report any completed committee action on Warsh's nomination.