· Supports government aid to keep Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing.
· Wants to replace the agencies' management, restrict executive salaries, stop company dividends and end their lobbying if taxpayer money is used to bolster the agencies.
· Missed Senate vote on
sweeping housing bill that gives Treasury temporary authority to give Fannie and Freddie an unlimited line of credit and buy stock in the firms if necessary.
"I think the actions taken by the Fed on Fannie and Freddie are correct...I hope that these measures will restore some of the necessary confidence in our institutions." -- McCain*
· Supports maintaining agencies' role in providing capital to the housing market, but believes ultimately they need to be defined either as public or private.
· Says the bailout should not protect the investors or CEOs of Fannie and Freddie.
· Also missed Senate vote on the housing rescue bill, which President Bush
signed into law on July 30.
"We're going to have to provide them with some support. ... Long term ... we have to go ahead and make a decision. If these are public entities, they they've got ot get out of the profit-making business. If they're private entities, then we don't bail them out." -- Obama **