WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Three U.S. senators blasted the Treasury Department on Thursday for what they called its failure to act more swiftly on countering climate risks, and they urged Secretary Janet Yellen to appoint a new climate counselor to lead the effort.

In a letter to Yellen viewed by Reuters, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Sheldon Whitehouse and Edward Markey criticized the work done by John Morton, Yellen’s first climate counselor. Morton stepped down in December and returned to the private sector.

Treasury spokesperson Julia Krieger underscored the key role the department and the Climate Hub had played on climate issues, including through passage of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax incentives, its work to better understand climate-related financial risks and international efforts.