US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said negotiators have made significant progress on a $700bn bailout package for Wall Street.
Lawmakers have said the rescue deal is vital to keep the American economy from falling deep into recession.
Speaking today during a rare weekend session of the Senate, Mr Reid said negotiators still had about 15 issues to resolve but he was hopeful leaders could announce an agreement in principle by tomorrow evening.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also said she hoped congressional negotiators on would strike a deal.
Ms Pelosi, a California Democrat, spoke to reporters as negotiators began talks that, according to a congressional aide, included Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
Ms Pelosi said she hoped Congress could act on a bill by tomorrow evening or Monday morning.
Negotiators are keen to reach a deal before the markets reopen around the world on Monday.
President George W Bush used his weekly radio address to try to reassure Americans concerned about the burden of the deal on taxpayers, by saying the package would end up costing less than $700bn.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the British government has taken a decision to nationalise the troubled bank, Bradford & Bingley.
Officials from the Treasury and the Financial Services Authority have been in talks with executives from the bank in a bid to secure its future.
The bank will be nationalised using special legislation the Treasury put through when it took Northern Rock into public ownership earlier this year.
