President Donald Trump’s pending nominee for the Federal Reserve Board left open the door Tuesday for a situation in which he concurrently holds a long-term position at the central bank while on unpaid leave from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, an arrangement that would break with decades of practice and raises questions about the central bank’s independence.
Stephen Miran, who was tapped by Trump in early August for the position, plans to take the unpaid leave until the term for which Trump nominated him expires in January.
In response to written questions Tuesday from the Senate Banking Committee, Miran declined to say whether he would leave his White House post if his appointment to the Fed extends beyond those four months, saying he would “reevaluate” the arrangement.