WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) – A presidential commission
exploring ways to balance the U.S. government’s budget has
scheduled a press briefing for Wednesday at 1 p.m. (1800 GMT)
to discuss proposals being put forward by its co-chairmen.

The 18-member panel, formed this year by President Barack
Obama, held a closed-door session on Capitol Hill on Wednesday
morning. It faces a Dec. 1 deadline to produce a final report
on cutting the national debt and budget deficit.

WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) – A private panel called for a
shake-up of the U.S. government’s budget process that would set
clear targets for cutting red ink and impose spending cuts and
even tax increases if targets were missed.

The recommendation by the Peterson-Pew Commission on Budget
Reform, a balanced-budget advocacy group that has no official
government role, came as a separate presidential deficit
commission met behind closed doors.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican challenger to the chairmanship of a key U.S. congressional bank oversight panel on Tuesday questioned the Federal Reserve’s decision to buy $600 billion in government debt.

The Fed move, known as quantitative easing, was unlikely to diminish uncertainty in the business world or do much to boost lending, Representative Ed Royce told Reuters in an interview.

WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) – The Republican front-runner
to head a key U.S. congressional bank oversight panel has urged
regulators consider whether a new rule limiting risky trading
by U.S. banks may handicap them globally, according to a letter
obtained by Reuters on Thursday.

In a sign of the policy position of the heir-apparent to
the chair of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial
Services Committee, Representative Spencer Bachus raised basic
questions in the letter about the impact of the “Volcker Rule,”
enacted into law in July.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Just days after winning control of the House of Representatives, Republican leaders on Thursday faced an internal fight over the chairmanship of a key committee that oversees Wall Street.

Representative Spencer Bachus was expected to prevail over rival Ed Royce to become the next head of the House Financial Services Committee, aides said, but the struggle could play a role in setting the panel’s agenda for 2011-12.

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) – The next head of a key U.S.
congressional committee overseeing banks and housing finance
told Reuters on Wednesday that mortgage giants Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac should be in liquidation, not conservatorship.

With Republicans capturing control of the House of
Representatives in Tuesday’s elections, Spencer Bachus is
expected to take over the chairmanship of the House Financial
Services Committee, replacing Democrat Barney Frank.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans grabbed the steering wheel of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, but weren’t expected to get out of the driveway when it comes to restraining Wall Street reforms and fixing housing finance.

A political standoff lies ahead for two years on key banking and housing issues as election returns showed Democrats losing control of the House, but retaining a narrow majority in the U.S. Senate, as widely expected.

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) – Republicans grabbed the
steering wheel of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday,
but weren’t expected to get out of the driveway when it comes
to restraining Wall Street reforms and fixing housing finance.

A political standoff lies ahead for two years on key
banking and housing issues as election returns showed Democrats
losing control of the House, but retaining a narrow majority in
the U.S. Senate, as widely expected.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – If Republicans make big gains in U.S. Congressional elections on Tuesday, as expected, Wall Street and big banks will have sweet, but incomplete, revenge on Democrats who drove through sweeping financial reforms against industry opposition.

The likeliest outcome of Democrats losing control of one or both chambers of Congress will be divided government and two years of legislative gridlock on issues important to the financial services sector, said policy analysts and aides.

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) – Global regulators called on
national authorities on Wednesday to curb the role of credit
rating agencies in the financial system, challenging the value
of an industry widely criticized in recent years.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) issued recommendations
calling for the elimination “wherever possible” of references
to credit ratings in legal statutes and business practices, and
for the development of new and better ways to assess risk.