"Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, told a Massachusetts audience at a recent town hall that the House will pass legislation this fall mandating a "complete audit" of the Federal Reserve.
The bill to audit the Fed, H.R. 1207, was introduced by libertarian Fed critic Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and is backed by well over a majority of the House. Frank's comment suggests it won't just be left to languish in committee.
"I want to restrict the power of the Fed in a number of ways," said Frank in response to a question about the bill.
"They have had since 1932... the right to intervene in the economy almost whenever they" wanted to, Frank said, noting that the Fed relied on its extraordinary lending power to forward billions to financial institutions last fall. He intends to curtail that lending power, he said.
Wall Street has been pushing back against opening up the Fed. A federal judge recently ordered it to disclose who the bank is lending to and what collateral it's getting in return. The Fed is appealing, arguing that such disclosure would damage it and the banks receiving the loans.
The Clearing House Association, a coalition of financial industry players, joined the Fed in protesting the decision."