Audit The Fed Revisited

Thanks to all of those who acted on various Audit the Fed Campaigns. However, the campaign may not have been as effective as it should have been. The following Email from "Jacob" should be self-explanatory. There is still more work to be done.

Hello Mish,

Please note that Barney Frank's personal Congressional office (for his Massachusetts 4th district) is not the most effective address for registering support for Ron Paul’s “audit the Fed” bill, H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009. This office is only accountable to Frank's home district and generally does not care what people in other districts or states think.

The right address is the Democratic staff of the House Financial Services Committee, which Frank chairs. It is these people who would be writing and/or editing the legislation in question, and advising Frank accordingly. In principle, they are accountable to the entire USA. Without a flood of citizen lobbying, they will most likely water down H.R. 1207 into something meaningless, or else ignore it altogether.

The committee Democrats' central phone number is (202) 225–4247, and the fax is (202) 225-6952. Alternately, and perhaps more effectively, you can politely email some or all of the committee's most senior Democrat staff directly, as follows:

Committee staff director and chief counsel: Jeanne.Roslanowick@mail.house.gov

Committee deputy chief counsel: Lawranne.Stewart@mail.house.gov

Committee communications director: Steven.Adamske@mail.house.gov (or possibly Steve.Adamske@mail.house.gov)

Another technique, if you live within reasonable driving or Amtrak range of Washington and you can spare a day off work, is to show up with a group of well-dressed, like-minded people at the Committee’s front office (2129 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515) and have your most eloquent group member tell the receptionist that you would like to speak with one of the above staff, or anyone who is available, regarding H.R. 1207.

The Committee Democrats have over 50 staff, so there is absolutely no reason why you cannot speak to someone other than a 22-year old receptionist. Be politely insistent and try not to leave empty-handed unless threatened with eviction or arrest.

You can also contact Committee members directly, asking them to talk to Barney Frank about H.R. 1207. By “members”, I mean other Congressmen on the Committee, and specifically on its most relevant subcommittees, which would have co-jurisdiction over the legislation.

These would likely be the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology (of which Ron Paul is the minority ranking member), the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, and possibly the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises as well.

Membership breakdown of subcommittees is available at Subcommittee Assignments for the 111th Congress

Hopefully, many of your readers will find their own Congressman on this list, or failing that, a Congressman from a neighboring district or at least the same state. (Again, there is no use in contacting a Congressman with whom you have no connection, and who owes you nothing).

Given there is strength in numbers, it would be particularly effective to arrange for multiple constituents to jointly contact the same Congressman on this issue, whether in the form of a petition/letter or, if possible, through an in-person meeting with him or his staff. Any petitions/letters should include a copy of the Text of H.R. 1207: Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 and a clear, concise request for the Congressman, as a Committee member, to insist on movement of the complete and unadulterated bill to Chairman Frank, ASAP.

Of course, you also want to ensure that your Congressman is signed on to the bill as a cosponsor . To see cosponsors, go to Govtrack Audit The Fed then click on “show cosponsors”. It is particularly important to have as many members of the above subcommittees, especially Democrats, signed on to this legislation as possible).

Moreover, anyone who has in the past donated money or volunteered for their Congressman's campaign, should not hesitate to play the quid-pro-quo card at this time. Make them work for you!

I hope that this helps.

Regards,

Jacob Dreizin

Thanks to Jacob for these suggestions.
Please contact the various subcommittees as Jacob has suggested.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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