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The priority project to reform the finance chair of Obama might derail in Congress. Supposed to address the causes of the banking crisis that has triggered a global recession, this reform presented in June by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, was nevertheless well on in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, however, as in the case of health reform, things get complicated.

The chairman of the Banking Committee of the Upper House, Democrat Christopher Dodd has introduced a very different text of the draft Administration and Obama much more radical. His project, no Republicans rally seems further divide the Democrats the majority. The objective of Barack Obama to enact a law by Christmas is compromised because the vast open debate by Chris Dodd could drag on for months.The Senate and House of Representatives, each on its own agenda, must agree on a common text.

Dodd, Senator from Connecticut, neighboring state of New York resident and where many Wall Street professionals, wants to give the dish any system of regulation of American finance. His most controversial proposal is to remove the Federal Reserve full competence in supervising banks. The Fed does not deal more than monetary policy, what Barack Obama wants to avoid. Dodd calls for consolidation into a new super agency to monitor banks, functions now split between four agencies.

Two points of agreement

The senator vowed Tuesday that he did not seek in any way to "punish the Fed, even if it was a" complete failure "in its mission of regulating banks.Chris Dodd also said he was not attacking "individuals or personalities, but the system architecture. A precision is useful when Ben Bernanke, the Fed governor, will testify before Congress at the end of the month for renewal of its mandate.

The blueprint also provides for federal regulation of insurance companies. So far these are the U.S. states regulate insurers. For prevention of systemic risks, he proposed a new agency specializing in surveillance of the largest banks. It would, in retrospect, these establishments to fund the eventual rescue of one of them.But to better ensure that the taxpayer is requested, the rival project of the House, instead stating that a fund maintained by these banks too big to fail accumulates in advance the resources needed for a rescue.

Two points of agreement exist however between the Obama Administration and the powerful senator. The first is the creation of a new agency that specializes in the regulation of financial products distributed to the general public, such as mortgages or credit cards. A proposal was however rejected by the Republican camp. In addition, Chris Dodd accepts the principles of management salaries and bonuses for bankers posed by the White House. It is forcing banks to greater transparency and allow shareholders to vote on remuneration issues.

But the boards would retain the discretion to overrule.However regulators may prohibit any compensation deemed "excessive." Finally the most senior officials of banks would be forced to surrender their salaries awarded in the event of subsequent review of company performance.

Christopher Dodd, a key player "Ron Paul, the Republican who calls for an audit of the Fed's" The insoluble problem of the size of banks

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