its own decisions on monetary policy. you know political considerations have play no role whatsoever in our discussions or decisions about monetary policy we're always going to be focused on the mission that congress has given us we have the tools to carry it about we have the independence which we think is essential to be able to do our jobs it nonpolitical way and you know we are we have the fed or absolutely committed to that mission and nothing will deter us from doing what we think is is the right thing to do although the fed began raising that benchmark interest rate again three years ago step by step its counterpart in europe the e.c.b. has left it at zero since twenty seventeen. this will likely be the last hike in the u.s. for a while as well as economic prognoses for twenty nineteen are pessimistic eroding profits would make companies more dependent on credit that just grew more expensive