(Reuters) -The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut the U.S. policy rate by a quarter-of-a-percentage point at its next two meetings to support the labor market, despite objections from several policymakers worried that further policy easing could worsen inflation. The Fed's newest governor, Stephen Miran, is a lone advocate for steeper rate cuts. 

Here is a look at Fed officials' recent comments, sorting them under the labels "dove" and "hawk" as shorthand for their monetary policy leanings. A dove is more focused on risks to the labor market and may want to cut rates more quickly, while a hawk is more focused on the threat of inflation and may be more cautious about rate cuts.

The designations are based on public comments and published remarks. To see how Reuters' counts in each category have changed, please scroll to the bottom of this story, or click on the photos in this graphic.

Dove Dovish Centris Hawkish Hawk

t

Michelle Lisa Jerome Jeffrey Beth

Bowman, Cook, Powell, Schmid, Hammack

Vice Governor Fed Kansas ,

Chair , Chair, City Clevela

for permanen permane Fed nd Fed

Supervis t voter: nt Preside Preside

ion, No voter: nt, nt,

permanen public "While 2025 2026

t voter: comments officia voter: voter:

"I on l "I am "I

continue monetary employm anticip think

to see policy ent ating a we

two more or the data relativ really

cuts economy for ely need to

before since Septemb muted maintai

the end August er are effect n a

of this 6, 2025. delayed of restric

year." , tariffs tive

October availab on stance

14, 2025 le inflati of

evidenc on, but policy

e I view so that

suggest that as we can

s that a sign get

both that inflati

layoffs policy on back

and is down to

hiring appropr our

remain iately goal."

low, calibra Sept.

and ted 29,

that rather 2025 Se

both than a ptember

househo sign 29,

lds' that 2025

percept the

ions of policy

job rate

availab should

ility be

and aggress

firms' ively

percept lowered

ions of ."

hiring October

difficu 6, 2025

lty

continu

e their

downwar

d

traject

ories."

October

14,

2025

Christop Mary John Lorie  

her Daly, William Logan,

Waller, San s, New Dallas

Governor Francisc York Fed

, o Fed Fed Preside

permanen Presiden Preside nt,

t t, 2027 nt, 2026

voter: " voter: permane voter:

Based on "We're nt "We

all of to a voter:  really

the data point "There need to

we have now are be

on the where more cautiou

labor the downsid s of

market, softenin e risks further

I g in the to the rate

believe labor labor cuts

that the market market from

(Fed's looks and here."

policy like it employm October

committe could be ent, 3, 2025

e) more and

should worrisom that is

reduce e if we somethi

the don't ng that

policy risk-man takes

rate age it." some of

another Oct. 9, the

25 basis 2025 upside

points risk

at our off of

meeting inflati

that on."

conclude October

s 9, 2025

October

29."

October

16,

2025.

Stephen   Philip Raphael  

Miran, Jeffers Bostic,

Governor on, Atlanta

, Vice Fed

permanen Chair, Preside

t voter: permane nt,

There nt 2027

are voter: voter:

risks "I see "I am

now to the concern

the risks ed

outlook to about

that did employm the

not ent as inflati

exist a tilted on that

week to the has

ago, downsid been

which in e and too

my mind risks high

should to for a

add inflati long

urgency on to time...An

to the d so I

wanting upside. today

to cut " would

rates October not be

and 3, 2025 moving

reinforc   (the

es the policy

reason rate)

for or in

having favor

half of it,

point but

cuts to we'll

get see

closer what

to happens

neutral ."

instead Septemb

of er 22,

quarter 2025

point

cuts."

October

16, 2025

    Michael Thomas  

Barr, Barkin,

Governo Richmon

r, d Fed

permane Preside

nt nt,

voter: 2027

"The voter:

FOMC "The

should downsid

be e in

cautiou the

s about labor

adjusti market

ng should

policy be

so that limited

we can ... there

gather are

further good

data, reasons

update to

our think

forecas counter

ts, and vailing

better forces

assess (on

the inflati

balance on)

of will

risks." limit

October the

9, 2025 downsid

e."

Septemb

er 26,

2025

    Alberto    

Musalem

, St.

Louis

Fed

Preside

nt,

2025

voter:

"We

have to

tread

with

caution

because

there's

limited

room

for

further

easing

before

monetar

y

policy

could

become

overly

accommo

dative,

and I

believe

that

monetar

y

policy

should

continu

e to

lean

against

persist

ence in

inflati

on."

October

10,

2025

 

    Susan    

Collins

,

Boston

Fed

Preside

nt,

2025

voter:

"Perhap

s the

risks

on the

inflati

on side

are a

bit

more

contain

ed than

I

previou

sly

thought

, but

the

risks

on the

labor

market

side

are

perhaps

a bit

greater

...That

does

suggest

that a

bit

more

easing,

perhaps

another

25

basis

points

of

easing,

might

be

appropr

iate."

October

14,

2025

    Austan    

Goolsbe

e,

Chicago

Fed

Preside

nt,

2025

voter:

"I'm a

little

wary

about

front-l

oading

too

many

rate

cuts

and

just

countin

g on

the

inflati

on

going

away."

October

3, 2025

    Neel    

Kashkar

i,

Minneap

olis

Fed

Preside

nt,

2026

voter:

"I

believe

the

risk of

a sharp

increas

e in

unemplo

yment

warrant

s the

committ

ee

taking

some

action

to

support

the

labor

market.

"

Septemb

er 19,

2025   

    Anna    

Paulson

,

Philade

lphia

Fed

Preside

nt,

2026

voter:

"Labor

market

risks

do

appear

to be

increas

ing -

not

outrage

ously,

but

noticea

bly.

And

momentu

m seems

to be

going

in the

wrong

directi

on."

October

13,

2025

Notes: The current policy rate target range is 4.00%-4.25%. The median of Fed policymaker projections in September was for a half percentage point of further rate cuts this year, though nine of the 19 wanted less than that. 

The Fed's seven governors, including the Fed chief and vice chairs, are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Each votes at every Federal Open Market Committee meeting, held eight times a year.

Miran, Waller and Vice Chair Bowman are Trump nominees. Barr, Jefferson and Cook - whom Trump is attempting to fire -   were nominated by President Joe Biden. Powell was initially nominated to the Fed Board by President Barack Obama, elevated to chair by Trump in his first term, and renominated as chair by Biden.

All 12 regional Fed presidents discuss and debate monetary policy at the meetings, but only five cast votes, including the New York Fed president and four others who vote for one year at a time on a rotating schedule. Fed regional bank presidents are picked by the directors of their own regional banks, subject to approval by the Fed's Board of Governors.

Reuters over time has shifted policymaker designations based on fresh comments and developing circumstances. Below is a Reuters count of policymakers in each category, heading into Fed meetings. 

FOMC Dove Dovi Cent Hawk Haw

Date sh rist ish k

Oct 3 2 9 4 1

'25

Sept 2 3 8 5 0

'25

July 1 3 8 7  0

'25

Jan. 0 3 9 7 0

-Jun

e

'25

Dec. 0 2 10 7 0

'24

Nov. 0 0 13 5 0

'24

Sept 0 1 12 5 0

'24

May 0 1 10 6 1

thro

ugh

July

'24

Marc 0 1 11 5 1

h

'24

Jan 0 2 9 4 1

'24

Dec 0 2 9 4 1

'23

Oct/ 0 2 7 5 2

Nov

'23

Sept 0 4 3 6 3

'23

June 0 3 3 8 3

'23

Marc 0 2 3 10 2

h

'23

Dec 0 4 1 12 2

'22