The final bill aims to strengthen consumer protection, shine a light on complex financial products, create a new process for taking down giant, failing financial firms, and make them stronger to prevent such failure.
Two weeks ago, congressional negotiators had to reopen their negotiations to change the way the bill paid for itself in order to secure Brown's support.
Brown opposed a proposed tax on banks and hedge funds. Now the bill is self-funding by tapping money unused by the federal bailout program, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), as well as by charging banks more for the FDIC insurance they buy to protect deposits.
Democrats are also hoping that Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, will join colleague Susan Collins in voting for the bill. Snowe remains uncommitted on the measure.
Senate leadership expects the Senate to take up the bill later this week, an aide said last week.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., has vowed to oppose the bill, saying it doesn't go far enough. That loss combined with Byrd's death, means Democrats can only count on 57 votes from their own party.
Scurrying to save Wall Street reform billDemocrats push to extend benefits for unemployed
