Janet Yellen, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Treasury epartment, made the case for aggressive economic relief, urging lawmakers to "act big" to fight the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

At her confirmation hearing before the Senate inance Committee on Tuesday, Yellen pressed lawmakers to pass the $1.9 trillion spending package that the incoming administration has proposed to keep families and businesses afloat as well as to accelerate vaccinations against the virus.

"Without further action, we risk a longer, more painful recession now and longer-term scarring of the economy later," Yellen said. "In the long run, I believe the benefits will far outweigh the costs."

Yellen, a labor economist who chaired the ederal Reserve from 2014 to 2018, would be the first woman to lead the Treasury epartment. Her nomination has the backing of all the living former Treasury secretaries, both emocrats and Republicans.