Bessent Declines to Draw Line on Removing Fed Member for Policy

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to express a view on whether President Donald Trump has the authority to fire a member of the Federal Reserve board over a policy disagreement.

“I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t have an opinion,” Bessent said when asked Wednesday whether the president has the constitutional authority to remove Fed governors solely because of a policy disagreement. He was queried on the issue by Democratic Representative Ritchie Torres of New York during a hearing in the House Financial Services Committee.

Trump is currently trying to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook “for ...