Driving across Montana, I see the signs of economic pressure everywhere. Quieter Main Streets, neighbors comparing notes on taxes climbing faster than wages, and producers caught between the cost of supplies and the uncertainty of markets.

Montanans are not abstract numbers on a chart in Washington. We get up every day to work, raise families, and keep our communities going. And behind these everyday struggles lies a lesson we’ve learned repeatedly in American history.

When elected officials gain the power to steer interest rates, the temptation to ‘goose the economy’ by forcing short bursts of growth via low interest rates almost always wins out. Though the short-term growth may help elected officials politically, over the longer term, ordinary people are left to absorb the pain of inflation and high prices at the market.

The Federal Reserve was built to stand apart from partisan control. Its role is not to chase election cycles but to keep the economy steady by protecting both the value of a dollar and the security of American jobs. When the Fed is allowed to do its work without political interference, as it is supposed to, families can plan their budgets, producers can make long-term investments, and workers can live without the worry of skyrocketing prices. 

Here in Montana, the stakes of the battle in Washington over the independence of the Federal Reserve are visible in everyday life. A rancher wonders if the cost of feed will spike again before he can sell his calves. A teacher watches her mortgage payment climb while her salary stays put. These concerns are as real as the price of beef at the grocery store. 

Today, some loud voices in Washington argue the Federal Reserve should be brought under tighter political control. They dress it up as accountability. Make no mistake: the real effect would be more short-term tinkering and less long-term security. 

Montanans know that when politicians try to game systems for quick wins, it’s the people on the ground who pay the price.

The Fed must remain independent (as it has been since 1913), guided by its founding principles and mission rather than campaign calendars. This is how we avoid lurching from one inflationary crisis to the next, how we keep the economy working for working people.