WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official said Monday that an interest rate hike could be appropriate if inflation remains persistently above the central bank’s 2% target, the latest sign that some policymakers are moving away from a bias toward reducing borrowing costs.

Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said in an interview with The Associated Press that her general preference is for the Fed keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged “for quite some time.”

kAmp?5 D96 2=D@ D2:5 E96 u65 >:89E 92G6 E@ 4FE :ED C2E6 :7 9:896C 82D AC:46D 42FD65 E96 64@?@>J E@ D=@H 2?5 F?6>A=@J>6?E E@ C:D6] qFE :7 :?7=2E:@? C6>2:?65 6=6G2E65[ 2 C2E6 9:<6 4@F=5 36 ?66565[ D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“x 42? 7@C6D66 D46?2C:@D H96C6 H6 H@F=5 ?665 E@ C65F46 C2E6D ]]] :7 E96 =23@C >2C<6E 56E6C:@C2E6D D:8?:7:42?E=J[” w2>>24< D2:5] “~C x 4@F=5 D66 H96C6 H6 >:89E ?665 E@ C2:D6 C2E6D :7 :?7=2E:@? DE2JD A6CD:DE6?E=J 23@G6 @FC E2C86E]”k^Am

kAmw2>>24<’D 4@>>6?ED DF886DE 2 8C@H:?8 4@?46C? 2>@?8 2E =62DE D@>6 A@=:4J>2<6CD E92E :?7=2E:@?[ H9:49 H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:?7=2E:@?\82D\@:=\ECF>A\fb_b6cdhb5ea4a566ghhcghdf`43_dcgQm6=6G2E65 367@C6k^2m E96 xC2? H2C[ >2J C6BF:C6 C2E6 9:<6D E@ E2>6 7FCE96C]k^Am

kAm#2E6 :?4C62D6D 3J E96 u65 H@F=5 36 2 D92CA D9:7E 7C@> =2E6 =2DE J62C[ H96? E96 46?EC2= 32?< k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:?7=2E:@?\7656C2=\C6D6CG6\;@3D\64@?@>J\b4cg2a6gg7_c3f_6hhb_a_f`a4gegc3aQm4FE :ED <6J C2E6 E9C66 E:>6Dk^2m]k^Am

kAm#2E6 9:<6D 4@F=5 =:7E 3@CC@H:?8 4@DED 7@C 4@?DF>6CD 2?5 3FD:?6DD6D[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C >@CE8286D[ 2FE@ =@2?D[ 2?5 4C65:E 42C5D]k^Am

kAm~E96C u65 @77:4:2=D 92G6 C646?E=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^7656C2=\C6D6CG6\>@CE8286\C2E6D\:?7=2E:@?\`5hf73b`_5beba`b_h`h`hhhda2f`774Qm@A6?65 E96 5@@Ck^2m E@ C2E6 9:<6D[ :?4=F5:?8 pFDE2? v@@=D366[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 r9:428@ u65] p?5 >:?FE6D @7 E96 u65’D >66E:?8 😕 =2E6 y2?F2CJ D2:5 E92E D6G6C2= @7 E96 `h @77:4:2=D @? E96 C2E6\D6EE:?8 4@>>:EE66 DFAA@CE65 2=E6C:?8 E96 A@DE\>66E:?8 DE2E6>6?E E@ C67=64E E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 “FAH2C5 25;FDE>6?ED” E@ C2E6D]k^Am

kAmp C2E6 9:<6 H@F=5 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J AC@>AE !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A E@ =2D9 @FE 2E E96 u65[ H9:49 96 92D 92CD9=J 4C:E:4:K65 7@C ?@E 4FEE:?8 C2E6D 7FCE96C]k^Am

kAmw6 92D 42==65 7@C E96 46?EC2= 32?<’D <6J C2E6 E@ 36 =@H6C65 E@ `T[ 5@H? 7C@> :ED 4FCC6?E =6G6= @7 23@FE b]eT]k^Am

kAm%96 8@G6C?>6?E H:== FA52E6 EH@ :?7=2E:@? >62DFC6D E9:D H66<[ E9@F89 @?=J @?6 H:== =:<6=J C67=64E E96 :>A24E @7 E96 ;F>A 😕 82D AC:46D D:?46 E96 xC2? H2C 3682? u63] ag] v2D AC:46D 2G6C2865 Sc]`a 2 82==@? ?2E:@?H:56 |@?52J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ ppp[ FA g_ 46?ED 7C@> 2 >@?E9 62C=:6C]k^Am

kAm~? uC:52J[ E96 8@G6C?>6?E H:== :DDF6 E96 |2C49 :?7=2E:@? C6A@CE[ AC@G:5:?8 2 7:CDE C625 @? E96 :>A24E @7 9:896C 82D 2?5 6?6C8J AC:46D] t4@?@>:DED 7@C642DE E92E 2??F2= :?7=2E:@? H:== H@CD6? D:8?:7:42?E=J[ ;F>A:?8 E@ b]`T 7C@> a]cT 😕 u63CF2CJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 DFCG6J 3J 52E2 AC@G:56C u24E$6E] ~? 2 >@?E9=J 32D:D[ E96J 6IA64E 4@?DF>6C AC:46D C@D6 _]gT 😕 |2C49 7C@> u63CF2CJ[ H9:49 H@F=5 36 E96 3:886DE :?4C62D6 😕 2=>@DE 7@FC J62CD]k^Am

kAm%96 r@>>6C46 s6A2CE>6?E H:== C6A@CE E96 u65’D AC676CC65 :?7=2E:@? 82F86 7@C u63CF2CJ @? %9FCD52J[ E9@F89 E92E H@?’E :?4@CA@C2E6 2?J :>A24E 7C@> E96 xC2? 4@?7=:4E]k^Am

kAmw2>>24< D2:5 E92E E96 r=6G6=2?5 u65’D @H? 6DE:>2E6D D9@H :?7=2E:@? 4@F=5 C6249 b]dT 😕 pAC:=[ H9:49 H@F=5 36 E96 9:896DE D:?46 a_ac] x?7=2E:@? DA:<65 E@ h]`T 😕 yF?6 a_aa 367@C6 D=@H=J 564=:?:?8]k^Am

kAm“x?7=2E:@? 92D 366? CF??:?8 23@G6 @FC E2C86E 7@C >@C6 E92? 7:G6 J62CD ?@H[” w2>>24< D2:5[ 2?5 2 7FCE96C :?4C62D6 H@F=5 >62? :E 😀 “>@G:?8 😕 E96 HC@?8 5:C64E:@?[ 2H2J 7C@> @FC aT @3;64E:G6]”k^Am

kAm%96 u656C2= #6D6CG6 😀 C6BF:C65 3J r@?8C6DD E@ D66< =@H :?7=2E:@? 2?5 >2I:>F> 6>A=@J>6?E[ 2?5 9:896C 82D AC:46D 4@F=5 E9C62E6? 3@E9 E9@D6 >2?52E6D[ 4C62E:?8 2 492==6?8:?8 D:EF2E:@? 7@C u65 @77:4:2=D]k^Am

kAmr@?DF>6CD >2J C624E E@ 9:896C 82D AC:46D 3J 4FEE:?8 324< @? E96:C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C6E2:=\D2=6D\:C2?\H2C\82D\AC:46D\`gb4“3a6e735edh57h7ch637bbe6f34QmDA6?5:?8k^2m 6=D6H96C6 😕 E96 64@?@>J[ w2>>24< D2:5[ H9:49 4@F=5 =625 E@ H62<6C 8C@HE9 2?5 =2J@77D[ H9:49 E96 u65 H@F=5 ?665 E@ C6DA@?5 E@ H:E9 C2E6 4FED]k^Am

kAmw@H E96 H2C :>A24ED E96 64@?@>J H:== 56A6?5 @? 9@H =@?8 :E =2DED 2?5 9@H 9:89 :E =:7ED 82D AC:46D 2?5 @E96C 4@DED[ w2>>24< D2:5] }@H 😕 :ED D:IE9 H66<[ E96 4@?7=:4E 92D 2=C625J =2DE65 =@?86C E92? D96 6IA64E65 H96? E96 u65 =2DE >6E |2C49 `f\`g[ w2>>24< D2:5]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.