As amended February
2, 2005
8-833
The Federal Open Market Committee hereby authorizes
each Federal Reserve Bank to take any or all of the actions set forth
below during and following a national security emergency when such
Federal Reserve Bank finds itself unable after reasonable efforts
to be in communication with the Federal Open Market Committee or when
the Federal Open Market Committee is unable to function. Action(s)
under this authorization will be taken by a Federal Reserve Bank only
after reasonable efforts have been made to consult with the chairman
of the Committee or if the latter is not available with the vice chairman
of the Committee or if both the chairman and the vice chairman are
not available, with whatever member of the Board of Governors may
be available to serve as acting chairman as provided for by the Committee’s
Rules of Organization. In addition, to the extent feasible, the action(s)
should be coordinated with other Reserve Banks with which the Reserve
Bank is able to communicate.
(1) Whenever it deems
it necessary in the light of economic conditions and the general credit
situation then prevailing (after taking into account the possibility
of providing necessary credit through advances secured by direct obligations
of the United States under the last paragraph of section 13 of the
Federal Reserve Act), such Federal Reserve Bank may purchase and sell
obligations of the United States for its own account, either outright
or under repurchase agreement, from and to banks, dealers, or other
holders of such obligations.
(2) Such Federal
Reserve Banks may engage in operations of the types specified in the
Committee’s authorization for System foreign-currency operations when
requested to do so by an authorized official of the U.S. Treasury
Department; provided, however, that such Bank shall take all steps
practicable at the time to ensure as far as possible that, in light
of the information available on other System foreign-currency operations,
its own operations do not result in the aggregate in breaching any
of the several dollar limits specified in the authorization.
Authority to take the actions set forth shall be effective
only until such time as the Federal Reserve Bank is able again to
establish communications with the Federal Open Market Committee, and
such Committee is then functioning.