This is an email from Ron Paul. Hip, Hip, Hooray for accountability.
As we reflect on President Obama's first 100 days in office, the hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street and the just passed budget, a staggering $3.4 trillion boondoggle, I wanted to share some good news with you.
As I write, H.R. 1207, my bill to audit the Federal Reserve, currently has 110 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. This piece of legislation is perhaps the most important of my career, and I thank you for your continued support in sending me back to Congress to fight for it.
A broad coalition of Representatives has joined with me in supporting your right to transparency at the Fed. For example, Rep. Tom Price (GA), head of the conservative Republican Study Committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA), former head of the liberal Progressive Caucus, have both cosponsored the bill. Americans from all over the political spectrum are demanding an audit of the Federal Reserve. And with good reason!
Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has operated without sufficient transparency or accountability to the American people. In fact, current law specifically excludes the Fed from audit or real congressional oversight. No government agency has such an utter lack of sunshine.
The Federal Reserve has created and dispersed trillions of dollars in response to our current financial crisis. Of course, I am among the most outspoken critics of the bailouts, but Americans across the nation, regardless of their opinion of the TARP program, want to know where that money has gone and exactly how much has been spent.
H.R. 1207 will open up the Fed's funding facilities, such as the Primary Dealer Credit Facility, Term Securities Lending Facility, and Term Asset-Backed Securities Lending Facility to Congressional oversight.
Additionally, audits could include discount window operations, open market operations, and agreements with foreign central banks, such as the ongoing dollar swap operations with European central banks.
By opening all Fed operations to a GAO audit and calling for such an audit to be completed by the end of 2010, the H.R. 1207 would achieve much-needed transparency of the Federal Reserve.
Times are tough, and we continue to hear a stream of bad news. But I will continue to stand up for you in Congress and fight for our American traditions, to protect our Liberty and for an Audit of the Federal Reserve.
Thank you again for your support. I could not continue my fight without you.
In Liberty,
Ron Paul
Rocket Dog
Lets see if the legislation is even voted on, let alone passed and signed into law.
1House house can pass it but do you think Pelosi will let it hit the floor. And if by chance she is out due to a bad dose of botox do you think Obambi won't veto it.
2***************
"Ever tried, ever failed, no matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better." - Samuel Beckett
This is a very tricky line he is trying to draw. I understand why he wants my clarity in the Fed's procedures, but I don't believe giving Congress oversight over the Fed is the correct response.
The Fed was set-up in the manner in which as a form of protection from the Government interfering with Monetary Policy. As it stands the President or Congress could tell the Fed to do something, but because they are separate entities, the Fed does not need to listen.
While this may sound like a bad idea, this is sanity behind this concept. For example:
As it stand now, if Congress has a budget that is larger than what it is collecting in taxes (i.e. a deficit, such as what we have now) they must sell bonds to raise the money to fund the government. Up until this point in time, Congress has been able to sell bonds without much issue.
Now say the Government has reached a point that it is/has spent so much beyond our nation's GDP that other nations are no longer willing to buy our debt. This leaves Congress with two options; Reduce the budget to fit what can be afforded or ASK the Fed to print more money to cover the budget.
As Congress does not have any authority over the Fed, if Congress asked the Fed just to "print more money" (which could lead to hyperinflation) the Fed would just say no and would thus force Congress to balance their budget.
If Congress has oversight over the Fed, you run the issue of Congress telling the Fed to print more money to fix their budgetary problems. This, of course, would lead to the economic demise of the U.S.
I'm not claiming that the economists in the Fed are the brightest bulbs, but I will say that I prefer them being a separate entity rather than giving Congress any more power over them. Congress can't even balance a budget, something most Americans need to do on a daily basis to get by, so giving them power over the Fed concerns me.
Now, I will say my example is a little out there, and I understand the want for more clarity in the Fed's operations, but I believe we have to be extremely careful in how much power we actually give the Federal Government over the Federal Reserve.
3Great points 3M!
Thanks for shedding light on all that.
4Geesh 3M. What are you? An MBA student or something?
Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.
5Thanks for the explanation 3M. Don't listen to Cine - she just jealous.
The thought of Congress having control over the money is just frightening.
6***************
"Ever tried, ever failed, no matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better." - Samuel Beckett
Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.
7
back at you in fact double


8***************
"Ever tried, ever failed, no matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better." - Samuel Beckett
Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.
9No problem!
Some other interesting items:
Most positions on the Federal Reserve Board are for long terms (usually a 14-year term, I believe) and the positions are staggered in when they start/end. This was done to keep political climates from having a strong affect on the Fed (as it would take years and years for an entire board to be completely changed, thus keeping a new presidential administration or new congress from having the ability to greatly affect the choices of the Fed.)
It generates its revenues without Congressional funding. That means that its money is either generated through their own investments or (worst-case scenario) they print money (which does not cause indebtedness to the US, but can be a cause of inflation.) As the Fed does not spend Congress's money and can not indebt the US, this is where I am concerned of giving Congressional oversight to the Fed.
When the Fed generates revenues, some of them are kept for the Fed to use and the rest is actually sent to the Treasury. So, the Fed is one of the few government related agencies that actually makes money for the Federal Government. (A Federally-related entity that makes money? Yet another reason not to give Congress control.
)
10you go girl
11***************
"Ever tried, ever failed, no matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better." - Samuel Beckett
okay now you are showing off - who ever is closest - spank him
12***************
"Ever tried, ever failed, no matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail Better." - Samuel Beckett
Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.
13I'm going to introduce mymellowman to eleuthera.
14meant to explain that my comment to make an introduction is a compliment to them both-
15MMM, what choice will the Fed have other then monitorise the debt, if there is not enough T-Bills sold. Hasn't it already started when The Fed announced it was buying T- bills themselves? The democrats have enough muscle to pass any bill they want. So far i have not seen a whole lot of fiscal sanity coming from The Democrats in office.
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