U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas

Less than 24 hours after WND reported a proposal from U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, to audit the Federal Reserve was approaching majority support in the U.S. House, he is confirming the plan has reached that "crucial benchmark."

"The tremendous grass-roots and bipartisan support in Congress for H.R. 1207 is an indicator of how mainstream America is fed up with Fed secrecy," Paul said shortly after U.S. Rep Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, became the 218th cosponsor, giving the plan, technically, majority support in the 435-member House.

"I look forward to this issue receiving greater public exposure," Paul said.

A spokeswoman in Paul's office said by the end of the business day in Washington, D.C., the plan had attracted 221 cosponsors. She said hearings on the transparency of the Federal Reserve are expected over the next month as part of the Financial Services Committee's series of hearings on regulatory reform.

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WND reported only a day earlier on the list of consponsors reaching 213 for H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009.

Paul long has opposed the power held by the Federal Reserve and its ability to manipulate the nation's economy and over the years has launched multiple proposals to get rid of the private banking powerhouse, without significant support.

But in light of the economic collapse in the United States – the government takeover of the banking industry, the government's demands for various auto industry bankruptcies, the government's appointment of a "pay czar" – change apparently is coming.

"To understand how unwise it is to have the Federal Reserve, one must first understand the magnitude of the privileges they have," Paul wrote in a recent Straight Talk commentary. "They have been given the power to create money, by the trillions, and to give it to their friends, under any terms they wish, with little or no meaningful oversight or accountability."

He's even said Congress should "reassert its constitutional authority over monetary policy."

Besides the support in the U.S. House, a companion bill, S. 604, also now has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont. It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

Paul said that should help the effort "gain momentum."

When Paul introduced his latest proposal to audit the organization there were 11 co-sponsors, which grew quickly to 124 just a few weeks ago. It jumped quickly then to 179.

The bill calls for the comptroller general of the United States to audit the private Federal Reserve and report to Congress before the end of 2010.

The Constitution, Paul said, gives Congress, not the private Federal Reserve, "the authority to coin money and regulate the value of the currency."

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Paul explained his advocacy for the H.R. 1207 audit in the U.S. House:

"Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar," the Texas Republican said. "Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95 percent of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy.

"How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? Only big-spending politicians and politically favored bankers benefit from inflation," he said.

Paul called oversight of the Fed "long overdue."

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"Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has always operated in the shadows, without sufficient scrutiny or oversight of its operations," he continued.

"The Federal Reserve can enter into agreements with foreign central banks and foreign governments, and the GAO is prohibited from auditing or even seeing these agreements. Why should a government-established agency, whose police force has federal law enforcement powers, and whose notes have legal tender status in this country, be allowed to enter into agreements with foreign powers and foreign banking institutions with no oversight?"

Paul's bill would also make the Federal Reserve's funding facilities, including the Primary Dealer Credit Facility, Term Securities Lending Facility, and Term Asset-Backed Securities Lending Facility subject to congressional oversight.

Note: Concerned individuals may contact members of the House Committee of Financial Services in reference to H.R. 1207 and the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committee in reference to its companion bill, S. 604. They may also contact their respective representatives and senators.

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