Money is the basis of every transaction we make, and is therefore one of the most crucial elements in maintaining a strong economy. It is therefore vital that we preserve sound money that is not subject to sudden fluctuations in value. That’s why we support the freedom of Americans to use anything they like as money, and the power of free markets to set interest rates instead of the central authority of the Federal Reserve.
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Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) didn’t waste any time in introducing a bill to Audit the Fed. Yesterday, the first day of the 114th Congress, Massie introduced H.R. 24, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 with 64 bipartisan original cosponsors. The legislation is identical to the Audit the Fed bill that overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives last year (333-92)—but ultimately Harry Reid refused to bring it to the Senate floor.
Hours after the new members of the 114th Congress were sworn in on Tuesday, Rep. Thomas Massie reintroduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act (H.R. 24), which, if passed, would require the United States' central bank to open certain information to the Government Accountability Office, currently excluded from audits.
Last week, Republicans won control over the Senate in the mid-term elections. I’m personally glad that Harry Reid is no longer Senate Majority Leader but I’m still skeptical on whether Republican leadership will be serious about cutting spending. I hope that they prove me wrong.
For those who follow the arcane world of monetary policy, the U.S. Federal Reserve remains a shadowy institution with immense power, yet shockingly little oversight. Despite its 100 year history, the Fed has never been fully audited, and although a bill to do that very thing is languishing in the Senate right now, Harry Reid shows little inclination to bring it to a vote.
Americans know that there is a serious problem in the economy. Incomes are stagnant, and the employment situation is not improving in a meaningful way.
I don’t often quote scripture in service of a point, but when I heard that the Justice Department is pursuing legal action against many of the world’s largest banks, charging them with illegal currency manipulation, I couldn’t help but think about this line from Matthew.:
As expected, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation (H.R. 24) to audit the Federal Reserve with a vote of 333-92. This goes to show that bringing transparency to the central bank is a bipartisan issue that transcends party lines. FreedomWorks will be scoring this important vote in our congressional scorecard to hold legislators accountable.
As one of our over 6.6 million FreedomWorks activists nationwide, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to vote YES on the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Introduced by Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), the bill would eliminate the current audit restrictions placed on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and require a full and thorough audit of the Federal Reserve.
