Investing.com - Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George on Wednesday repeated views that a Fed rate hike is needed, noting she voted for an interest rate hike in September as the need to gradually normalize policy grows and could lead to interest rates getting hiked too quickly later.
Her comments cap a day of policymaker views that included Fed Chair Janet Yellen who remained vague on the timing of any rate hike.
"We want to continue to see the consumer be strong in this country," she said at a forum for minority bankers in Kansas City. "As the economy continues to make progress, we need to slowly and surely make progress so we don't get far behind and take actions later that can actually cost us."
George has been a lone dissenting vote on the Federal Open Market Committee for most of the year, but last month two other regional Fed bank presidents joined her in wanting a rate hike right away while three others indicated they expect no hikes at all this year.