RALEIGH, N.C. – The head of the Federal Reserve Bank branch that includes North Carolina visits with state lawmakers who are in the middle of grappling with steep budget cuts, high unemployment and slumping businesses.

Jeffrey Lacker addresses the Senate’s budget-writing committee in Raleigh on Wednesday. He’ll talk about the Federal Reserve’s economic outlook for North Carolina and take questions from lawmakers.

The Senate is watching as the House wrestles with how to make billions of dollars in spending cuts and raise taxes to close a $4 billion spending gap for the budget year starting next month.

Lacker’s North Carolina trip includes visits to Fort Bragg and Johnson Air Force Base, plus meetings with business and community leaders.