Stacy Kaper

The Senate appeared unlikely to complete a small-business lending bill this week as Republicans and Democrats were at loggerheads over what amendments should be considered.

Barring any unforeseen upheavals, Democrats have the assurances they need to secure the 60 votes needed for Senate passage of the Dodd-Frank bill.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd announced late Tuesday that he had secured the 60 votes needed to pass financial reform in the Senate with Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine agreeing to support the bill.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board took steps Monday to respond to criticism that the FDIC was hindered from using its backup examination powers aggressively enough during the financial crisis to protect the deposit insurance fund.

After returning from the congressional recess late Monday still shy of the 60 votes needed to pass financial regulatory reform legislation, the chamber was expected to first debate legislation to create a $30 billion small-business lending fund.

Sen. Maria Cantwell announced late Thursday that she intends to support regulatory reform, giving a boost to the bill's prospects in the Senate, which plans to take up the legislation later this month when Congress returns from a Fourth of July recess.

With regulatory reform already finalized, Senate leaders sent a letter to their House counterparts this week attempting to clarify the intent of a derivatives provision without reopening the legislation.

WASHINGTON — The House passed a mammoth financial reform bill late Wednesday 237 to 192, sending the bill to the Senate, which is not expected to act until later this month.

WASHINGTON — The House passed a mammoth financial reform bill late Wednesday 237 to 192, sending the bill to the Senate, which is not expected to act until later this month.

Although regulatory reform cleared one hurdle to enactment on Wednesday with the House approving the final legislation, the bill's ultimate fate remains a cliffhanger as Senate leaders announced they would not consider it until after the Fourth of July recess.

In an emergency session to salvage wayward votes and put regulatory reform legislation back on track, House and Senate conferees agreed late Tuesday to strip a proposed bank tax from the bill and add other budget offsetting mechanisms in its place.

WASHINGTON — In an attempt to satisfy Republicans who are turning against the reform bill, the conference committee is expected to reopen negotiations this afternoon and strip out a proposed bank tax from final legislation.

While the House is still expected to pass the final bill soon, it was unclear when the Senate would act, or whether Democrats still had enough support to enact it.

Moments of drama and comic relief punctuate the long and painful process that was the regulatory reform conference; New York Fed names five vice presidents.

WASHINGTON — After a marathon final day of debate, the regulatory reform process ended in the early hours of Friday in the same dramatic manner it had been conducted for more than a year: with a near breakdown followed eventually by a miraculous save.

WASHINGTON – While several critical regulatory reform issues remained in limbo late Wednesday, House and Senate conferees agreed to several key provisions, including one allowing banks to pay interest on business checking accounts.

House and Senate conferees are expected Thursday to add language to the final regulatory reform bill that would strengthen a provision to ban proprietary trading and restrict investment in private-equity firms and hedge funds.

While House and Senate conferees had been expected to deal national banks a setback on Tuesday by agreeing to final language that would make it harder for federal regulators to preempt state consumer protection laws, they opted late in the evening to leave the issue in limbo.

WASHINGTON -- House conferees reached an accord Monday with Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., on a provision of the regulatory reform bill that would allow the Federal Reserve Board to regulate interchange fees on debit cards.

Sen. Dodd channels Satre during reg reform conference; Britain finally trumps us on separation of powers; Classic cars listed among damages Feds might collect from Farkas.