Editor’s note: Breaking views are thoughts from individual members of the editorial board on today’s headlines.

On Monday, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, announced plans to introduce his “Audit the Fed” legislation as an amendment to a Senate banking bill expected to be voted on this week.

“While we have made great strides in reviving our economy through curbing overzealous regulation and cutting taxes, lasting prosperity will escape us if we do not hold the enabler of big government and our astronomical national debt accountable,” Paul said in a statement.

Rand Paul is right. With the Federal Reserve being one of the most powerful, and secretive, institutions in the country, it is only logical to allow the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to audit its activities in order to better inform Congress.

While opponents have argued that such transparency could compromise the independence of the Fed, it should be kept in mind that the Fed was created by an act of Congress and as a creation of Congress should be open to congressional oversight.

What the Fed does impacts all of us, and it should not remain free from scrutiny. As FreedomWorks president Adam Brandon wrote today, “Americans deserve to know the logic behind the Federal Reserve’s decisions, and the Paul amendment would open its books to Congress.”

Previous efforts have come close to passage. The Senate voted 53-44 in support of auditing the Fed in 2016, with the proposal earning support from most Republicans and Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.

Notably, then-candidate Donald Trump criticized Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for missing the vote, writing via Twitter: “It is so important to audit The Federal Reserve, and yet Ted Cruz missed the vote on the bill that would allow this to be done.”

With Trump now president, and Republicans still in the leadership of Congress, it’s time to finally Audit the Fed.

Sal Rodriguez is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. He may be reached at salrodriguez@scng.com