Yellen says she has 'no plans to leave' as Treasury chief post-midterms

Janet Yellen said Wednesday she intends to stay on as Treasury secretary in Joe Biden's administration, seeking to put to rest rumors of her departure following the midterm elections. 

"I have no plans to leave," she said in response to one of the first questions during an onstage interview at a New York Times event. 

Prakash Singh/Bloomberg

Yellen, an economist by training and a former chair of the Federal Reserve, took office at the start of the Biden administration in early 2021. Treasury watchers have speculated over how long she might want to remain in such a demanding post, with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo often talked about as a potential successor.

In October, Yellen said there was "no truth" to an Axios report that she was planning to leave. Yellen, 76, had also told White House officials that she planned to remain as secretary well after the midterms to continue pursuing several priorities, including a global minimum tax deal, a price cap on Russian oil and an overhaul of the Internal Revenue Service.