It’s not exactly Yellen’s first rodeothe 68-year-old Fed chair has had plenty of practice being in the hot seat, having endured numerous hours-long congressional hearings and nationally televised Fed press conferences in her first year on the job.
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But her Hill appearances this week comes at a critical juncture for the economic recovery, and her answers to lawmakers’ questions — particularly those that address the issue of when the Fed plans to hike interest rates — will come under heightened scrutiny.
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Meanwhile, Sen. Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, plans to put pressure on Yellen to craft policies aimed at lower and middle class families.
“Low- and middle-income Americans have not benefited much from low interest rates,” Brown will say Wednesday, according to excerpts of his opening remarks shared with CNN. “The everyday struggles of Americans need to be part of the Fed’s considerations in making monetary policy, too.”
