WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders are considering increasing the amount of credit union and bank deposits covered by federal insurance from $100,000 to $250,000 for one year, as part of a revised asset purchase plan scheduled to be voted on by the Senate tonight.

Credit unions are included in the drafts that have been circulated on Capitol Hill, a result that pleases NCUA Chairman Michael E. Fryzel and lobbyists for the industry's major trade associations, all of whom have been working hard to ensure that credit unions receive parity with banks on this issue.

Increasing the amount of money that is insured could be a way to pick up more support for the $700 billion plan to authorize the government to buy the troubled assets from credit unions, banks and thrifts. The measure was defeated in the House on Monday.