Jan. 19. All the living former US Treasury Secretaries have signed the letter urging the US Senate to confirm President-elect Biden’s Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen.

In part, the letter says: “As former Treasury Secretaries, we are well aware of the demands of the job and the steepness of the learning curve for new officials. It is our view – based on personal experience for many of us—that Dr. Yellen’s experience, knowledge, judgment, and character make her uniquely qualified for this role. Our assessment of her integrity and ability is widely shared, including by the Senate, which has confirmed her several times, including most recently in 2014, and before which she has regularly testified.”

Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellin. Photo: Brandeis University

It’s a bipartisan group, with one of the stalwarts of past GOP administrations, centenarian George Shultz, signing on. James Baker, a youngster at 90, also signed on as well as Robert E. Rubin, Lawrence H. Summers, John W. Snow, Henry M. Paulson Jr., Timothy F. Geithner and Jacob J. Lew.

History note: Shultz was Secretary of the Treasury from 1972 to 1974 under President Richard M. Nixon.