Yields on the short end of the curve rose more slowly and the 2-year/10-year yield spread widened to the most in two weeks.

The Fed raised its benchmark rate by half a percentage point on Wednesday, the biggest such move in 22 years, but Powell explicitly ruled out raising rates by three-quarters of a percentage point in a coming meeting.

The two-year US2YT=RR U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 8.3 basis points at 2.699%.

The yield on 10-year Treasury notes US10YT=RR was up 12.4 basis points to 3.039% and the 2-year/10-year yield spread was at 33.8 basis points.

"It is some follow through from the FOMC meeting yesterday and greater clarity on how the Fed is thinking about raising rates," said Ben Jeffery, rates strategist at BMO Capital Markets in New York.

"I would also point a little bit to set up for next week's Treasury auctions," he said.

Treasury is scheduled to auction 3- and 10-year notes next week, as well as 30-year bonds.

The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond US30YT=RR was up 13.6 basis points to 3.139%.

BMO's Jeffery said the steeper curve could also be a reaction to the Bank of England's warning that Britain risks a recession and inflation above 10%. The BoE raised interest rates by 25 basis points to their highest since 2009.