The West Wing

Federal Reserve

Description

Federal Reserve reels under 14 billion pennies dumped by the U.S. Mint—worthless zinc-copper husks eroded by inflation's grind. Terry Beckwith brandishes this fiscal avalanche in Roosevelt Room horse-trading, weaponizing the central bank's storage nightmare to demand White House backing for the Legal Tender Modernization Act. Pennies pile like policy landmines, forcing Sam's gritted concessions amid school bond brinkmanship and reelection tremors.

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

1 events
S3E5 · War Crimes
Beckwith's Penny Ultimatum for School Bonds

Invoked by Terry as recipient of the Mint's 14 billion pennies 'dumped in our laps,' portraying the Federal Reserve as burdened by obsolete currency; this amplifies the penny's erosion argument, tightening the noose on Sam's resistance.

Active Representation

Through referenced storage burden

Power Dynamics

Overwhelmed central bank yielding data for reform pressure

Institutional Impact

Highlights federal monetary system's vulnerabilities to legislative tweaks

Organizational Goals
Manage currency circulation efficiently Mitigate inflation's impact on coin viability
Influence Mechanisms
Logistical overflow as policy critique Institutional strain narrative

Related Events

Events mentioning this organization

4 events
S1E17
Gambit for the News Cycle — Then the Fed Dies

In the Communications bullpen Lilly proudly reveals she dug up Jeffrey Morgan and has already put Abbey on television to push a child-labor crusade. She …

S1E17
Fed Chairman's Death Steals Abbey's Moment

In the Communications bullpen, Lilly's carefully engineered media gambit — Abbey's televised takedown of corporate child labor featuring 14-year-old Jeffrey — looks poised to seize …

S1E17
Page 17 Interrupted — Fed Chairman Dies

During a quiet Oval Office intelligence briefing—Bartlet literally reading aloud from "page 17" about Abida Kahn and under‑representation—the room is yanked into crisis when Leo …

S1E17
The President Refuses to Rush: Dahl's Death and the Fed Standoff

During an interrupted intelligence briefing, Leo bursts into the Oval with the devastating news that Federal Reserve Chairman Bernie Dahl has died. Leo urges an …