GSEs should remain owned by shareholders : W.House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a key role in the U.S. housing market and should stay shareholder-owned companies, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement on Sunday.

"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play an important role in our housing finance system, and they should continue to play this role in their current forms as shareholder-owned companies," she said.

U.S. President George W. Bush ordered Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to immediately work with Congress to approve a new plan unveiled earlier on Sunday to backstop the mortgage finance companies with possible loans and stock purchases, Perino said.

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing by James Dalgleish)