Onlookers gather outside the historic Federal Hall where U.S. President Barack Obama is speaking in the heart of Wall Street in New York September 14, 2009. Obama, marking a year since Lehman Brothers collapsed, urged financial firms Monday not to fight regulatory reform and urged Congress to pass his proposals by the end of the year. (File Photo) REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES BUSINESS POLITICS)   By Kevin Drawbaugh
WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) – The Obama administration made gains on Tuesday in its push for U.S. financial reform, unveiling a landmark bill to tackle systemic risk in the economy and winning congressional committee approval for a measure to expose hedge funds to more government scrutiny.The systemic risk bill would grant vast powers to a new systemic risk regulatory council, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp to monitor and address risks to economic stability posed by shaky financial holding companies.

(more…)