U.S. Senate Confirms Adeyemo As Deputy Secretary Of The Treasury

The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Wally Adeyemo as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury on Thursday, making him the first Black American to hold the powerful job.

Adeyemo, 39, has struck a hardline tone on China, vowing to fight what he called Beijing’s “unfair economic practices” and hold China accountable to international rules.

Adeyemo will play a key role in shaping U.S. economic policy on issues ranging from financial regulation to relief for everyday Americans and U.S. sanctions on foreign governments.

A former senior adviser at asset manager BlackRock Inc and the child of Nigerian immigrants, Adeyemo served as a top national security and economic adviser to Democratic former President Barack Obama and held senior jobs at the Treasury.

The Senate confirmed Adeyemo on a voice vote, a procedure used when there is little to no opposition.