Looks like a moment of sanity is emerging from the House Financial Services Committee. Chair Barney Frank is quoted as saying the Federal Reserve will not be given regulatory expansion powers, instead, a super council of existing regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve will oversee systemic risk.

The Obama administration’s plan to expand the Federal Reserve’s powers to oversee financial firms is failing to win supporters in Congress as some lawmakers back a proposal to give the responsibility to several regulators.

“It’s going to be shared authority,” House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, whose panel will write the measure, told reporters July 21, without providing details.

Frank and lawmakers leading discussion on regulatory reform fault the central bank for slow action on lending abuses and want the Fed to focus on monetary policy. Support is emerging for a council of the Fed, Treasury Department, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and other regulators. The Senate Banking Committee will consider the systemic-risk plan today.

“The more eyes on the problem the more likelihood that someone will raise an alarm,” Representative Spencer Bachus, top Republican on the House panel, said in a July 21 interview.

A long way to go, especially on disincentivizing, corporations to grow into too big to fail institutions, but a good sign. Lord knows they are having expert du jour testimony as input to craft reforms.