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Jeffrey R. Schmid

Jeffrey R. Schmid

President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Appears in 3 stories

Education: Southern Methodist University and University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Stories

The Fed's great division

Rule Changes

President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City - Rotated off FOMC voting roster for 2026 after dissenting against rate cuts

The Federal Reserve held rates steady at 3.5-3.75% on January 28, 2026, in a 10-2 vote that exposed a stunning reversal in internal divisions. Fed Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller dissented in favor of a 25-basis-point cut—the first time two sitting governors have dissented together in decades. Just six weeks earlier in December, the vote split 9-3 the opposite direction: Miran wanted a 50 basis-point cut while Goolsbee and Schmid opposed any cut at all. The December minutes revealed even supporters called that decision "finely balanced." Now the battle lines have shifted entirely, with some hawks turning dovish while the 2026 FOMC voting rotation brought three new hawks—Cleveland's Beth Hammack, Dallas's Lorie Logan, and Minneapolis's Neel Kashkari—replacing Chicago's Goolsbee and Kansas City's Schmid. Miran's four-month term expired January 31, though he stated he will remain until Trump names a permanent replacement.

Updated Feb 1

A weakening U.S. job market forces a Fed pivot under a data blackout

Money Moves

President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City - Voted against December 2025 rate cut, citing inflation concerns

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points on December 10, 2025, in a deeply divided 9–3 vote—the most dissents in six years—bringing the funds rate to 3.5–3.75%. Minutes released December 30 revealed the decision was 'finely balanced,' with officials split over whether weak hiring or stubborn inflation poses the greater risk. The delayed BLS report released December 16 showed the economy lost 105,000 jobs in October and added only 64,000 in November, while unemployment climbed to 4.6%, the highest since September 2021. Combined with the November ADP report showing a 32,000 private-sector job loss concentrated in small businesses, the data confirmed the labor market weakened sharply in late 2025.

Updated Jan 2

Fed’s 2025 rate-cut run: three eases, one new playbook, and a president pushing hard

Rule Changes

President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City; FOMC voting member - Hawkish dissenter opposing the October and December cuts.

In a single year the Fed has gone from peak post‑Covid rates to a clear easing cycle. December’s third 2025 rate cut pushes the federal funds range down to 3.5–3.75% and flips the switch on a new operating regime built around full‑allotment repos and steady Treasury bill buying.

Updated Dec 11, 2025