Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has obtained 41 signatures from fellow GOP senators voicing opposition to a financial regulation bill and demanding further negotiations.

The Kentucky senator won the support of one last holdout _Sen. Susan Collins of Maine _ increasing his leverage as Democrats prepare to bring the legislation to the Senate floor for debate.

The unified GOP stance that surfaced Friday complicates matters for Democrats, who had begin to hunt for individual Republicans to peel off and obtain the necessary 60-vote margin to overcome a procedural roadblock in the Senate.

Republicans said in the letter to Democratic leaders: "We are united in our opposition to the partisan legislation reported by the Senate Banking committee."