Schumer to Chair Housing Panel?

A senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., is expected to be the new housing subcommittee chairman, according to sources, although it has not been officially announced.The housing subcommittee has jurisdiction over the housing government-sponsored enterprises, and the New York senator has fiercely opposed Bush administration efforts to substantially cut the size of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's mortgage portfolios. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., was the ranking Democrat on the housing subcommittee last year, but he is going to chair the securities and investment subcommittee. Sen. Reed is the author of a proposal that would require Fannie and Freddie to contribute 5% of their profits toward an affordable housing fund.