FED: Gov Nominee Miran: President Nominated Me Because He Likes My Policy Views

Fed Gov nominee Miran's independence (or lack thereof) from White House influence is unsurprisingly a central theme in his Senate banking committee nomination hearing. 

• He says "I couldn't be more in agreement that independence of the central bank is of paramount importance for the economy, for financial markets, for the long run stewardship of the country, all of those are completely I'm in complete accord with. Look, the President nominated me because I have policy views that I suppose that he liked.... If I'm confirmed to this role, I will act independently, as the Federal Reserve always does, based on my own personal analysis of economic data, my own personal analysis of the effects of economic policies upon the economy, and act based on my judgment of the best economic policy possible. That said, I'm always happy to hear views from every source possible."
• In a line of questioning about his independence from the White House in pursuing policy, Miran suggests that he will return as Chairman of the Council of Economic advisors at the White House once his term is over in January: "I have received advice from counsel that what is required is an unpaid leave of absence from the Council of Economic Advisors. And so, considering the term for which I'm being nominated is a little bit more than four months, that is what I will be taking. As long as that is the advice of counsel I'll follow the law."
• Later he notes that "the term for which I've been nominated is four and a half months. If I am nominated and confirmed for a longer term than just a handful of months, I would absolutely resign."
• Asked whether "anyone in the administration asked you to commit, formally or informally, to lower vote to lowering interest rates", Miran says "no".
• He doesn't have much to say on current policy, merely noting "there has been no detectable increase in the aggregate price level as a result of tariffs."