Ben S. Bernanke won backing for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve yesterday in a 16-to-7 vote by the Senate Banking Committee.

The nomination — which came a day after Bernanke was named “Person of the Year” by Time magazine for leading the biggest expansion of the central bank’s powers in its 95-year history — next goes to the full Senate.

The 56-year-old Fed chief, a Republican first appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006, was criticized before the vote for ignoring the housing bubble and failing to supervise banks. Democrats including panel Chairman Christopher Dodd, of Connecticut, and Mark Warner of Virginia, came down in favor of Bernanke’s emergency actions, which they said saved the economy from a more severe recession.

Twelve Democrats and four Republicans voted for Bernanke. Six Republicans were opposed.