House passes housing bill; Bush lifts veto threat

By Kevin Drawbaugh and Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives passed a massive housing rescue bill on Wednesday while the White House dropped a threat to veto it, paving the way for measures aimed at shoring up the worst U.S. housing market since the Great Depression.

Removal of the presidential veto threat spurred investors to snap up shares and bonds of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which would receive an emergency government lifeline under the bill.

The measure, approved on a 272-152 vote, now moves to the U.S. Senate, where a vote may take place later this week or early next week.

The bill had been in the works for months, but took on greater urgency since concerns about Fannie and Freddie's finances mounted in mid-June

Ten days ago, the U.S. Treasury pledged an unspecified credit line for the companies and said it would buy their stock, if needed, to bolster investor confidence. Those emergency measures required congressional approval.

The two companies, which own or guarantee almost half of the $12 trillion in U.S. mortgage debt outstanding, have recorded heavy losses in the past year amid rising defaults.

If they were unable to keep financing mortgages, analysts say the already weak housing market could grind to a halt, tipping the U.S. economy into a deep recession.

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