In what will likely have been his final semiannual report to Congress, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke said that while the economy is recovering it is too fragile for the Fed to wind down its bond-buying program. Bernanke stressed that the continuation or the gradual ending of the program would depend entirely on the country's economic outlook, not on a preset course. He also warned that upcoming congressional budget battles and a fight over the debt ceiling could do damage to the economy.
