What most concerns the head of the Minneapolis Fed with our economy right now? What is he most optimistic about heading into 2020? Plus, what is he hearing about Montana's economy in particular? Those were just some of the questions we threw at Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on Wednesday's Montana Talks radio show with Aaron Flint.

While highlighting the economic strengths in the economy, Kashkari also mentioned concerns in farm country. Here's what Kashkari had to say when we asked him what impact the US Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) would have if it finally passes Congress:

KASHKARI: I think if that gets passed and enacted, that''ll be a positive step forward for the US economy and for our economic competitiveness, and I think it will be a sign of confidence that our political system in Washington can get things done.

We also got his take on the recent interest rate reductions that came out of the Fed:

KASHKARI: I've been an outlier for the last two and a half years arguing against raising interest rates just because I didn't see any evidence that the US economy was overheating, and I think that my colleagues now have started to take a similar view, and I'm happy with that.

Kashkari is visiting Billings, Montana on Thursday, September 26 to meet with business leaders, tribal leaders, and others. He'll also be taking part in a public town hall meeting moderated by Stockman Bank CEO Bill Coffee. That town hall will take place at noon inside MSU-Billings' Petro Theatre. Click here to register for the event.

 

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