Jul 14 - The U.S. government has announced sweeping measures to shore up the country's two largest mortgage financing giants, Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac. The plan calls on Congress to increase the companies' access to credit and allow the Treasury to purchase shares in the companies if needed. The Federal Reserve also announced that it would lend emergency funds to the troubled mortgage finance giants if needed in a move that echoed the Fed's efforts to rescue investment Bank Bear Stearns in March. Shares in the two companies plunged last week after fears that they might run out of money amid mounting home-loan losses. Helen Long reports.