Washington Outlook: CAPITAL WRAPUP

DON'T BANK ON REFORM

House Banking Committee Chairman James A. Leach (R-Iowa) is scrambling to save his banking reform bills. Leach's measures have stalled over controversial new rules on bank competition in the insurance business. To break the stalemate, bankers say they'll support the bills without any insurance provisions. But insurance agents are fighting this plan for fear an amendment protecting them from bank competition would be dropped.EDITED BY OWEN ULLMANN