Greenspan to serve a fifth term as chairman of the Fed

The US Senate has approved President George W. Bush's nomination of Alan Greenspan to serve a fifth term as chairman of the Federal Reserve, AP reported Saturday.

The approval came on a voice vote. It came hours after the Senate Banking Committee endorsed the nomination, with only Republican Senator Jim Bunning voting against.

Greenspan, 78, has guided the Fed since 1987 when he was chosen by President Ronald Reagan to succeed another legendary chairman Paul Volcker.

He was re-nominated to the Fed post once by Bush's father and twice by President Bill Clinton.

Bush had let it be known a year ago that he planned to nominate Greenspan for a fifth term when his current term ended this month.

Friends say Greenspan has told them he plans to serve less than half of the new four-year term, choosing to retire on Jan 31, 2006, when his separate 14-year term as a Fed board member is to end.

That decision will give the next president, to be elected in November, the chance to select Greenspan's successor early in the next presidential term.

Bunning predicted during Greenspan's confirmation hearing on Tuesday that he would probably be the only vote against the nomination in the full Senate, but he told Greenspan: ˇ°We both know what it's like to take unpopular stands.''

Bunning said he was opposing the nomination because he believed Greenspan did not move quickly enough to lower interest rates in 1992 and 2000 and he also objected to the Fed chief's voicing opinions on subjects such as tax and budget issues that Bunning said were outside of the Fed's jurisdiction.

Source: Agencies