No Fed surprises The vote for steady policy and a balanced risks assessment (a.k.a neutral directive) was unanimous. There were no surprises there. The key line in the FOMC's statement was this: "The limited number of incoming economic indicators since the November meeting, taken together, are not inconsistent with the economy working its way through its current soft spot." This statement indicates that the Fed is not currently leaning toward further rate cuts, though of course that can change quickly if the economy falters