Sunshine Bill Response Letter from Senator Cantwell:

Dear All,

Here is a response letter to a RP'er asking for support of the Sunshine Federal Reserve Bill from Washington State's own senator Maria Cantwell. This is the very same senator that co-sponsored Senate Bill 787, which proposes transferring property ownership of any body of water - including puddles on your land to the Federal Government. I thought Patty Murray, our other Washingtonian senator was bad, and she is really pretty grim, but Maria is beginning to sound possessed....by the banking elite!

If you live in Washington State, this is your grand opportunity to roll up your sleeves and polish your political skills by writing what? Handwritten, certified letters that will proactively grab her attention to let her know she is supposed to be representing her constituents, not the bankers et al.. Send one to Murray as well!

To those living in other states, please get a pen and paper out and start writing a letter to your senators and then send it certified on Monday! Let's be effective and also keep working in the same fashion with the congressional reps who have failed to co-sign 1207. Here is a copy of the infamous letter:

Dear______,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act
of 2009. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue and regret the
delayed response.

As you may know, the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2009 (S. 604) was
introduced by Senator Bernard Sanders on March 16, 2009. This bill, if
enacted, would revise the manner in which the Comptroller of the
United States audits the Federal Reserve System. The bill is currently
pending in the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs.

I am assessing closely proposals like this one and will work with my
colleagues to craft legislative proposals that will ensure the
stability of our financial institutions and our financial markets. We
are experiencing unprecedented turmoil in our economy and I believe
that we can best help our markets by fostering a transparent and open
evaluation of all the financial players. I appreciate your thoughts
and will keep them in mind as these issues are considered by the U.S.
Senate.

Congress created the Federal Reserve System in 1913 to serve as the
central bank for the United States. The Federal Reserve formulates the
nation's monetary policy, supervises and regulates banks, and provides
a variety of financial services to depository financial institutions
and the federal government. The System comprises three major
components, the Board of Governors, a network of 12 Federal Reserve
Banks, and member banks.

The Federal Reserve Board is responsible for determining the United
States' monetary policy in a manner that fosters a stable, sound, and
competitive economy. In doing so, it must balance several goals - the
need for economic output and efficiency, low inflation, and low
unemployment.

Congress created the Federal Reserve as an independent agency to
enable the central bank to carry out its responsibilities protected
from excessive political and private pressures. At the same time, by
law and practice, the Federal Reserve is accountable to Congress. The
seven members of the board are appointed by the President with the
advice and consent of the Senate. Congress routinely monitors the
Federal Reserve System through formal and informal oversight
activities.

The Federal Banking Agency Audit Act (P.L. 95-320) of 1978 gives the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) the authority to audit the
Board of Governors, the Reserve Banks, and branches. In addition,
Congress is responsible for oversight of the Fed's monetary policy
operations, foreign transactions, and the FOMC operations, which is
done by requiring semi-annual monetary policy reports that are
delivered at public hearings. While Congress does have significant
influence on the Federal Reserve, Congress has no active role in its
monetary policy decisions.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this
matter.  You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates
for Washington state residents.  If you are interested in subscribing
to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov.
Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of
further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

**Start writing now: By the way, I love the contradiction in this sentence: "While Congress does have significant
influence on the Federal Reserve, Congress has no active role in its
monetary policy decisions."

Either you have influence or not, period! Get your pens out, remember handwritten letters have the MOST influence! Happy Writing!