Senate Republicans urge more time on financial overhaul

Senate Banking Committee Republicans are unanimously pleading with panel Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) for more time to consider financial regulatory overhaul legislation.

All 10 Republicans on the panel argued in a letter to Dodd that his schedule to unveil legislation on Monday and hold a markup during the week of March 22 is not enough time to consider such wide-ranging legislation.

"While we remain open to finding common ground and to working diligently toward passage of bipartisan legislation, we believe a markup scheduled in haste would certainly prevent us from achieving that goal," the Republicans wrote.

Dodd spent weeks negotiating with Republicans including ranking member Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). Dodd decided last week to unveil legislation without a bipartisan deal and without any GOP support.

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