Capital Briefs: Democrats Want Hearings on Leach Bill

Democrats on the House Banking Committee want Chairman Jim Leach to hold more hearings on his Glass-Steagall regulatory-relief legislation.

"Given the number of iterations that have surfaced throughout the year ... such a hearing would be critically important for committee members' understanding of the changes being considered," the Democrats wrote Rep. Leach.

House Banking has approved pieces of Rep. Leach's bill but not the entire package and not in its most recent form. The Iowa Republican has revised his legislation a number of times in an attempt to win banking and insurance-industry support.

Rep. Leach hasn't decided whether to hold a hearing, according to his staff. But the chairman has been angling for weeks to get his bill to the House floor for a vote.

Without taking a position on Rep. Leach's latest bill, the Democrats' May 13 letter does indicate general support.

"Hopefully, Glass-Steagall modernization and rationalization will persist as a viable legislative issue for this Congress," the members said.

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