Barkin: Fed's foot "unequivocally" on the brake, makes sense to move slower

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Tight monetary policy is "unequivocally" slowing the U.S. economy, allowing the U.S. Federal Reserve to move "more deliberately" with any further interest rate increases, Richmond Federal Reserve president Thomas Barkin said on Thursday.

"I'm confident that our foot is unequivocally on the brake," Barkin said in a podcast posted to the Richmond Fed Web site. "It just makes sense to steer more deliberately" as the Fed both studies the impact of monetary policy on the economy but also watches to see if inflation continues slowing. (Reporting by Howard Schneider)