A group of Senate Democrats has called on Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte to provide a detailed account of how he has managed two full-time federal positions simultaneously, urging him to resign if he cannot fully commit to his Senate-confirmed role.

The FHFA oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that guarantee roughly half of all U.S. residential mortgages and remain in federal conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis. The agency's decisions on lending standards, guarantee fees, and housing finance reform directly affect mortgage availability and borrowing costs for millions of American households.

In a letter addressed to Pulte, the lawmakers questioned his dedication to the FHFA post after President Donald Trump appointed him last month to concurrently serve as acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The Democrats argued that holding both positions cast doubt on Pulte's ability to address the nation's housing affordability crisis while also overseeing the U.S. intelligence apparatus.

"We are concerned that your capacity to address the nation's worsening housing crisis has been significantly impaired by your serving in a role that has nothing to do with your responsibilities at FHFA," the letter states.

The lawmakers further wrote: "Your acceptance of the role as acting DNI suggests that you may be more interested in using your position in the federal government to continue serving the President's political agenda than in lowering housing costs for American families. It also raises further questions about your potential abuses of authority, improper use of federal resources, and ability to safeguard confidential information – both as FHFA Director and as acting DNI."

Pulte's tenure as acting DNI is expected to conclude on Monday, when Jay Clayton — whom Trump nominated for the position last month — assumes the role on a full-time basis. Clayton previously served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term. Despite the anticipated transition, the Democratic senators imposed strict deadlines on Pulte. They requested a detailed accounting of how he divided his time between FHFA and the Office of the DNI, including copies of his official calendars. They also set an August 7 deadline for Pulte to report on FHFA's progress regarding a set of housing affordability recommendations the lawmakers had transmitted to him the previous August.

"If you are unwilling or unable to dedicate yourself fully to the role for which you were confirmed and help to lower housing costs for Americans, we would urge you to resign," the letter concludes.

Sources: Senate Banking Committee letter (PDF), WHO13 report