“By bringing greater transparency and accountability to the Fed, the bill will improve the Fed’s oversight of our biggest financial institutions,” Warren said in the release about the measure introduced today.

Fed spokesman Eric Kollig declined to comment. The Fed is facing congressional pressure to be more transparent about how it conducts monetary policy and how it supervises the nation’s biggest banks.

Bailout critics

The central bank has been pushing back against new threats to its independence after Republicans took control of both chambers this year, and members of both parties have voiced unhappiness with the Fed’s financial supervision. That criticism dates to its role in taxpayer-funded bailouts of firms including American International Group Inc. during the financial crisis of 2008-2009.

“If Board members can think for themselves and are held accountable, taxpayers are less likely to be asked to bail out the megabanks,” Vitter said in today’s statement.

The central bank’s Washington-based governors are nominated by the U.S. president and confirmed by the Senate. Elected officials have no role in choosing regional Fed bank presidents, who are selected by their boards of directors, subject to Fed board approval.

Lending powers

Congress reined in the Fed’s emergency lending powers when it passed the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. The central bank still hasn’t completed rules explaining how it will implement the changes, and officials have made clear they’d like to retain as much flexibility as possible to contain future crises.

That’s put them in conflict with lawmakers who want clear rules that minimize the Fed’s discretion and eliminate its ability to rescue individual banks.

Lindsay Bembenek, a spokeswoman for Vitter, declined to comment beyond what was in the statement. Lacey Rose, a spokeswoman for Warren, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

The new Vitter-Warren proposal is one of several bills that aim to make the U.S. central bank more accountable to Congress. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, a Republican from Alabama, is drafting legislation to overhaul financial regulations that could include changes to the Fed.

With assistance from Jeff Kearns in Washington.

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