U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Federal Reserve should consider a half-percentage-point cut in its benchmark rate at the Sept. 16-17 policy meeting, arguing that a larger-than-usual move is warranted after the central bank held fire in July. In a Fox Business interview on Tuesday, Bessent said “the real question now is whether we should cut rates by 50 basis points in September,” adding that the economy can tolerate a faster reversal of last year’s tightening. Bessent contended that the Fed “could have been cutting in June” had it possessed the latest, weaker employment revisions, which showed slower job growth in May and June. He also pointed to the July consumer-price report, which logged a 0.2% monthly rise in headline CPI and a 0.3% increase in the core measure, as evidence that inflationary pressures remain contained despite higher U.S. tariffs. The Treasury chief expressed confidence that Stephen Miran, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, will be confirmed by the Senate to fill the vacant seat on the Fed’s Board of Governors before next month’s meeting. Bessent said President Donald Trump is casting a “wide net” for a successor to Chair Jerome Powell and wants a leader who can revamp the institution; former St. Louis Fed President James Bullard indicated he would support whichever candidate Bessent prefers.