Press Release - Readouts of Treasury Secretary-designate Janet Yellen and Deputy Treasury-designate Wally Adeyemo's Meeting and Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond's Meeting with Financial Services Forum Board Members

Treasury Secretary-designate Janet Yellen and Deputy Treasury Secretary-designate Wally Adeyemo met virtually with members of the board of the Financial Services Forum Thursday to discuss the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic recovery, and opportunities to work together to address long-standing barriers to economic inequity and get millions of Americans back to work.

Secretary-designate Yellen stressed the need to get the virus under control in order to get the economy back on track. The conversation focused on the urgent action required to get more Americans vaccinated and to provide additional economic relief, particularly to communities of color hit hardest, and small businesses struggling to survive. Secretary-designate Yellen also noted the importance of getting our schools reopened safely, so parents of young children - particularly women - can rejoin the workforce as soon as possible. She and Deputy Secretary-designate Adeyemo and the Forum members also discussed their shared desire to ensure loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) are distributed equitably, efficiently and effectively. Finally, they agreed to continue looking for ways to partner on threats to economic growth and stability, including climate change and cybersecurity.

Incoming Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond met with the group virtually earlier in the day. The conversation focused on how the private and public sectors can work together to slow the spread of COVID-19, the incoming administration's plan to build back an economy that works for every American, the need for a robust infrastructure package and to help tackle climate change.