Housing bailout bill, The rich get richer

The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans garnered 22 percent of the national income in 2006, their highest share since 1929.

Housing bailout bill

Congress this week passed a massive mortgage-bailout bill that will offer $300 billion in relief to homeowners and lenders. The bill gives qualified homeowners facing foreclosure an opportunity to refinance into 30-year government-guaranteed mortgages. It also authorizes the Treasury to make loans to the troubled government-chartered mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and buy an unspecified amount of stock in both companies. The bailout of Fannie and Freddie could cost taxpayers as much as $25 billion.

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