Sununu Says He's Long Backed Regulations on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

John Sununu hasn't always stressed the need for a tougher regulatory climate, but lately he's been doing what he can to claim it as a signature concern.

Speaking on a conference call with former Senator Warren Rudman, Sununu said legislation he backed might have saved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

He then cited a separate measure rejected by Congress that he says might have reined in failed insurance giant AIG.

"I've also written legislation to give the federal government a voice in regulating national insurance firms. This is about creating a regulatory structure that is up to the task."

State insurance regulators dispute Sununu's claims, which he and several other members of Congress first made last month in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

The president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Sandy Praeger of Kansas, says AIG's problems sprung from its holding companies, which were already under federal purview, and that Sununu's argument is based on an inaccurate assumption of facts.

For NHPR News, I'm Josh Rogers.