Rep. Paul planning hearing on Fed foreign lending Share this in Share 3 20diggs Email Print Related News Stocks roar as Q2 begins;

Rep. Paul planning hearing on Fed foreign lending


Share this
in
Share

3
20diggs
Email
Print
Related News
Stocks roar as Q2 begins; euro, oil up too
Fri, Apr 1 2011
Employers step up hiring, jobless rate drops
Fri, Apr 1 2011
Gold slips on U.S. jobs data, Fed eyed
Fri, Apr 1 2011
S&P cuts Ireland; Fitch in downgrade threat
Fri, Apr 1 2011
Dollar climb off lows after more hawkish Fed comments
Thu, Mar 31 2011
Analysis & Opinion
How will the AGs enforce the mortgage settlement?
How to lend money to family members
Related Topics
Bonds News »
Bonds »
Global Markets »
Financials »

WASHINGTON, April 2 | Sat Apr 2, 2011 3:08pm EDT

(Reuters) - Persistent Federal Reserve critic Representative Ron Paul plans to hold a hearing on the U.S. central bank's emergency loans to the branches of non-U.S. banks, his spokeswoman said on Saturday.

"I was surprised and deeply disturbed ... to learn the staggering amount of money that went to foreign banks," Paul said in a statement.

"These lending activities provided no benefit to American taxpayers, the American economy, or even directly to American banks," he said.

Paul spokeswoman Rachel Mills said the Republican lawmaker, who advocates abolishing the Fed and returning to a currency backed by gold or silver, is planning a hearing on the discount windowlending in May. Details are still being worked out, she told Reuters.

Data the Fed was required by courts to disclose on Thursday showed the U.S. branches of foreign-headquartered financial firms had made extensive use of the central bank's emergency lending discount window during the severe financial crisis that froze financial markets in the fall of 2008.

During that period, the Fed actively encouraged financial firms to obtain funding from an array of unusual emergency funding vehicles to prevent markets from freezing up entirely.

While making emergency loans is at the discretion of the individual regional Fed banks, the discount window is open to any firms in sound condition able to post good collateral.