More than a year after the US financial emergency went critical and threatened the global economy with its worst reverse since the 1930s, the underlying causes have yet to be addressed. When it comes to improving financial regulation, the crux of the matter, there has been a lot of talk – usually about the wrong things – and next to no action.

Last week, a committee of the House of Representatives, which has been co-operating with the Obama administration on this front, released a draft bill. It has some good ideas, such as creating an early resolution regime for non-bank financial institutions. It has some crazy ideas, such as aiming to keep secret a list of institutions subject to special oversight. Above all, it has plenty of material to get Congress riled up – especially the proposals to enlarge the supervisory role of the Federal Reserve.

Nothing matters to Capitol Hill so much as apportioning responsibilities and the power that goes with them. But who makes the rules is less important than what the rules say. Here the bill mostly opts out, granting discretion to regulators left and right. On issues of substance as opposed to form, it is vague to the point of silence.

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November 2, 2009 1:18am in Obama, US Politics | Comment