Baucus backs Lew nomination for Treasury

A key Senate Democrat announced Tuesday that he supported Jack Lew's nomination to be Treasury secretary.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the chairman of the tax-writing Finance Committee, said after meeting Lew on Tuesday that he hoped for "a quick but thorough confirmation process." 

Lew's nomination needs to be cleared by the Finance panel, and he was scheduled to meet with other members of the panel on Tuesday, including Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the No. 3 Democrat in the chamber. 

Baucus's office said in Tuesday's meeting with Lew, the current White House chief of staff, he "discussed the many fiscal challenges facing our nation, including the need for serious action to address the debt."

Democrats believe that Lew, whom President Obama officially nominated on Monday, will get confirmed. The current Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, is scheduled to exit at the end of the week. 

Some Republicans have said Lew previously gave misleading testimony about a White House budget, or have questioned his role in past fiscal negotiations.

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