Both US parties in Congress have reached agreement on the outline of a $700bn (£380bn) bail-out plan to revive the financial sector.
Leading Democrat Senator Christopher Dodd said they had reached "fundamental agreement" on the package though he did not reveal details.
He said Congress could act in the next few days to pass a bill on the subject.
The plan is aimed at helping finance firms offload their bad debt, which has triggered a global credit crisis.
"We now expect that we will have a plan that can pass the House, pass the Senate and be signed by the president," Senator Robert Bennett of Utah said after meetings with lawmakers on Thursday.
Details of the package were not immediately available but it is expected to include limits on executives' pay as well as oversight requirements.