Key senators said they are close to a bipartisan deal on a homeowner rescue package that could help a half million strapped borrowers get government-backed mortgages. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., the Banking Committee Chairman, postponed a meeting Thursday to vote on the plan in anticipation of reaching a compromise with Sen. Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the panel's senior Republican. The measure also tightens regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that finance mortgages.

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