Miran says he'd love to stay at Fed, supports more rate cuts

By Ann Saphir

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran on Wednesday said he would be "very happy" to stay on at the central bank longer term if asked, but the decision is not ?up to him.

Miran's term expired January 31, and ?though he can stay in it until a replacement is confirmed, his is the only Fed ?board seat to which President Donald Trump can nominate former Fed ?Governor Kevin Warsh to be the next Fed Chair ?unless current Fed ?Chair Jerome Powell resigns from the Fed Board when his leadership term is up in ?mid-May.

Powell has not said what he will ?do; his seat as Fed governor doesn't expire until January 2028.?

"What happens later this year will depend on a ?variety of things; it depends if ?there's an ?open seat, it depends on the choice that the president makes, it depends on choices that the Senate makes," Miran said ?in an interview on Fox Business with Larry Kudlow, who pressed ?him on whether he'd like to remain at the U.S. central bank. "I absolutely would, but that's not up to me. There's got to be a seat available."?

Miran has pushed for more Fed easing than his colleagues ?at ?every Fed meeting he's attended since he was nominated ?by Trump and confirmed by the Senate last September.

On Wednesday, after a ?stronger-than-expected jobs report appeared to bolster the case against further rate cuts, he reiterated his support for lower rates, citing his expectation that a dramatic drop in housing inflation will ease overall price pressures this year, as will the Trump administration's deregulatory push because it will allow economic output to surge.

"While today's jobs ?data made me feel really good about the economy, I think the truth is that pushing out the supply side of the economy still ?allows for monetary policies to ?accommodate," Miran said.?

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Chris ?Reese and Diane Craft)