OREANDA-NEWS. Following the affirmation of the United States of America's foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings at 'AAA/F1+' with Stable Outlooks, Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ratings of certain categories of debt that are directly tied to the creditworthiness of the United States or its related entities.

Categories of debt whose ratings are affected include:

--Obligations that are supported by credit enhancement issued by financial institutions directly linked to the United States, such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the Federal Home Loan Banks;

--Pre-refunded bonds whose repayments are wholly dependent on 'AAA' rated United States government and agency obligations held in escrow;

--Municipal housing bonds that are primarily secured by mortgage-backed securities issued by Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, and/or Freddie Mac;

--United States government-sponsored entities' obligations whose ratings, in Fitch's estimation, reflect a very high likelihood and degree of government support.