Banking Committee approves Bernanke for second term, 16-7

The Senate Banking Committee approved Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's nomination for a second term, with most Dems in favor, on Thursday.

Sixteen members of the committee supported Bernanke's bid for a second term atop the Fed, while seven senators opposed.

All but one of the committee's 13 Democrats, Sen. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), voted for Bernanke, while the committee's Republican members were more mixed. Six Republicans, including ranking member Richard Shelby (Ala.), voted against Bernanke, while four voted in favor.

Bernanke was expected to pass committee, though he's faced some populist outrage from both the left and the right in recent weeks.

President Barack Obama nominated the chairman for a second term in August after Bernanke was first nominated and confirmed by President George W. Bush.

See the vote tally here:

Yeas:

Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.)
Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)
Mark Warner (D-Va.)
Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
Bob Bennett (R-Utah)
Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
Mike Johanns (R-Neb.)
Judd Gregg (R-N.H.)

Nays:

Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
Ranking member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)
Jim Bunning (R-Ky.)
Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)
David Vitter (R-La.)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)