The Federal Reserve (the "Fed") is a behemoth agency with the ability to manipulate and control the entire American economy. Our jobs, our finances, our savings and, ultimately, our livelihoods — all of them are subject to the decisions made at the Fed.
But the Fed’s deliberations and operations happen behind closed doors.
It’s time for us to know how the Fed makes its decisions. Congress must take immediate steps to provide transparency for the American people.
No other institution has so much unchecked power. Look no further than the unlimited authority the Fed used in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fed printed money, purchased government-backed securities and doled out massive amounts of money to favored industries. These actions added almost $5 trillion in debt to the Fed’s balance sheet.
To be clear, representatives of the Fed are only interested in transparency to the extent it gives them political cover. Because, to them, the opacity of the Fed is a feature, not a bug, and their leadership considers secrecy to be a great asset.
If you ask them, accountability to the American people and to the taxpayers who prop up their financial house of cards is actually bad. From the Fed’s perspective, to even question this arrangement is in some way harmful or dangerous.