They are taking over from Expedition One - American Bill Shepherd and Russians Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev - who have been living on the platform for nearly five months.

BBC: Discovery docks with space station

Dodd, who helped shepherd the bill through the Senate, says the companies are "fundamentally sound and strong, " noting that they hold excess capital and that their portfolios are primarily made up of healthy, 30-year fixed-rate loans.

FORBES: Senator Gives Fannie, Freddie Thumbs-Up

An NRA lobbyist, Tara Mica, helped shepherd a model bill that requires voters to show a photo ID at the polls.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS