Congress has finally woken up to the need to prioritize housing affordability and this bill is an important step to reducing costs for Americans. However, the enactment of this law should not mean the end of our advocacy in Congress for…
Maxine Waters
The Public Record
Maxine Moore Waters is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 43rd congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented California's 35th congressional district from 1991 to 2013. Waters is known for her outspoken views on various issues, including economic justice, civil rights, and government accountability. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for policies aimed at addressing systemic inequalities and has played a significant role in discussions surrounding healthcare and financial reform.
Most widely reported
by number of sources- I would like to thank the gentlelady from Florida for extending time to me to rise in support of this bill. I am now--and have been for many years--a big supporter of the people of Haiti. I am the proud author of H.R. 4573, the Haiti Debt Relief and Earthquake Recovery Act. It was that bill that freed up $828 million that they would have had to have paid out for their debts, money that can now go toward helping with the earthquake response. Immediately following the earthquake, there was an outpouring of sympathy from people in the United States and around the world; and I am very appreciative for what our government did and for what the people of this country did--individuals, churches. We've not always had our politics right in Haiti, but we sure rose to the occasion with regard to this devastating earthquake that hit Haiti. The international community pledged a total of $9.9 billion in reconstruction funds, including $5.3 billion for the first 2 years. Yet, more than 1 year later, little, if any, of the money has reached the people of Haiti. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, 680,000 displaced people are still living in tent camps, and the conditions in many of these camps are appalling. There is a critical need for food, clean water, and sanitation facilities. A deadly outbreak of cholera has already killed more than 4,800 people and has infected more than 280,000 people.…7 sources2011govinfo.gov
- Thank you very much, Congresswoman Christensen. I would like to thank you for taking this time this evening so that we could focus on this issue of jobs. It's extremely important. I would like to thank Steny Hoyer for coming to the floor to recognize the work that we are doing, to increase job opportunities for people in this country. The Congressional Black Caucus is to be commended because they heard the cry. They felt the pain of so many people out there who have lost their jobs, who do not know how they are going to pay their mortgages, who do not know how they are going to provide for their families. So despite the fact that the Congressional Black Caucus organized and introduced over 40 bills dealing with this issue, the Congressional Black Caucus decided to do something more, recognizing, yes, that we have a public policy responsibility, that's why the 40 bills. But beyond that what else could we do? So the Congressional Black Caucus took to the streets and went out into America and hit five cities: Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Atlanta, Miami, and then my city of Los Angeles. And what we saw was mind-boggling. Even though we understood that 16.7 percent is a huge number for people to be unemployed, we did not realize the thousands upon thousands of people who really were hurting out there. They came. They came by the thousands in every city that we were in.…2 sources2011govinfo.gov
- Thank you very much. I would like to thank Mr. Grimm for his eloquent description of precisely what can happen and what is happening, and his plea to all of us to ensure that we don't place people in the position of losing their homes because they cannot afford these extraordinary increases in premiums. I met with residents from Plaquemines Parish who came to the Congress of the United States. All the elected officials and community leaders came together, and they came here to make a plea to us to understand that, with this increase in premiums, they certainly can't afford it, and they can't afford to sell it because nobody is going to buy it. So Mr. Grimm talked about victimization and the fact that we would be victimizing people who are victims of natural disasters twice, and that's precisely what it's all about. And I think that we are more caring than that. I think that we understand that there's still a lot of things to be worked out. The flood maps have not been completed. The pricing has not been really dealt with, and so I think we need time. We need time in order to answer these questions, to deal with the complexities of what we're trying to do. I think we can stabilize flood insurance. I think that is possible. But I, as one of the authors of this bill, I'm also making a plea to say that we did everything that we could to try and have a bill that's sustainable, that's viable, that makes good sense.…2 sources2013govinfo.gov
- I would say to the gentleman from Arkansas to use your time to deal with the burden that you claim multinationals have just for doing this reporting. We will use our time to support the workers and the people of this country. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Axne), the sponsor of this important legislation.2 sources2019govinfo.gov
- I am pleased that the gentleman from Arizona just talked about the kind of support he has in his district. Let me remind the House that we have support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Aerospace Industries Association, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, National Association of Manufacturers, Boeing, and Air Tractor, Inc. What you have here is business and labor have come together to support this most important bill. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record letters of support. Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, Washington, DC, October 28, 2019. Hon. Maxine Waters, Chairwoman, Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Patrick McHenry, Ranking Member, Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairwoman Waters and Ranking Member McHenry: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce thanks the committee for considering legislation to provide for long-term reauthorizations of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (``TRIA'') program and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (``Ex-Im''). The Chamber strongly supports the substitute amendment to H.R.…2 sources2019govinfo.gov
- I beg to differ with the gentleman from Wisconsin. This has everything to do with Enron. As a matter of fact, I think the American public must know and understand the difference between this side of the aisle and that side of the aisle. We are about the business of protecting consumers, and we are about the business of allowing the average person to have their day in court. This bill would make it more difficult. It would put obstacles in the way. It would send class action lawsuits to the Federal court, which are overjammed. We do not have enough judges there. We have the big drug cases there. These cases would be backlogged, and they know it. They are creating obstacles to people getting their fair day in court. Members heard some of the cases referred to, where class action lawsuits are the only way people can get any justice. Let me remind Members of just a few of them. As a matter of fact, the average person would not be able to go into court and get any justice against Enron. It would only be through class action lawsuits. Remember Firestone? They knowingly sold defective tires, where tread separation caused more than 800 injuries and 271 deaths. They failed to recall and replace defective tires in a timely manner. What about Monsanto? They hid 40 years' worth of dumping of toxic PCBs, mercury, lead, and mustard gas in Anniston, Alabama.2 sources2002govinfo.gov
This is an important step forward, not the final destination. I look forward to continuing my work to lower housing costs, address homelessness, expand affordable housing, and ensure every family has access to a safe and stable place to…
While no compromise is perfect, this legislation reflects meaningful progress and incorporates over 50 housing and banking provisions which Democrats fought to secure, but our work is far from done.
Mr. Speaker, I say to Chairman Hill that in light of changes we agreed to today, I want to take a moment to make clarifications about the authority the Treasury has and should use related to the provisions banning large institutional…
Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill that will help community banks. The bill is supported by the National Bankers Association and the Community Development Bankers Association, and I am very pleased to support it. As we have discussed, there…
tonight, you see members of the Congressional Black Caucus on the floor of the House of Representatives. If you think what you see tonight is a strong voice against an attempt to disrupt, undermine, and destroy the Voting Rights Act, you…
I rise in support of H.R. 3709, the Advancing the Mentor-Protege Program for Small Financial Institutions Act sponsored by our colleague and former chair of our Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, Representative Joyce Beatty. She has…
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot that Congress can do to help our community financial institutions. This includes taking up deposit insurance reform bills like the ones that I and my committee Republicans have put forward. Increasing deposit…
the very Reverend Jesse Jackson Presidential candidate and civil rights leader was not only my close friend and confidant, he was my longtime political ally and mentor. Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., was my idol and spiritual and political…
I rise to speak on H.R. 5616, the $2.50 for America's 250th Act, sponsored by the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt). This legislation directs the Treasury Secretary to mint and issue a $2.50 collectible coin to celebrate the 250th…
I oppose Mr. Self's amendment to strike section 307 of the INVEST Act. Section 307 is identical to H.R. 3357 sponsored by guess who? It is sponsored by Mr. Meeks. It closes gaps in the disclosures made to investors where there are…
Mr. Chairman, H.R. 3383 seeks to provide small businesses with more opportunities to access capital. A key avenue for most small companies to raise money is by seeking investments from a small number of accredited investors. These…
I encourage all Members to vote ``yes'' on Ms. Garcia's amendment to strengthen the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering requirements for foreign investment advisers. This reasonable and well-considered provision will ensure…
Mr. Chair, I have heard a lot from Republicans about how the INVEST Act will expand access to capital and increase investor opportunity. The inclusion of three poison pills in this bill shows they are not serious about protecting the…
Mr. Chair, Republicans claim that section 202 purports to modernize retirement options for nurses, teachers, and nonprofit workers. Let me be clear: It does not. In reality, this provision opens these workers' retirement accounts called…
with costs soaring and small businesses struggling to weather the impacts of the Trump tariffs and his administration's war on small businesses, it is crucial that we do what we can to make sure government is working for them, not against…
Now, this so-called e-delivery provision makes electronic delivery the default communication method for all investors, whether they like it or not. AARP research indicates that a majority of American investors, 80 percent of which are 55…
Mr. Speaker, HUD plays a vital role in providing safe and affordable housing to families all across the United States. Families depend on HUD's programs to keep a roof over their heads. H.R. 225 would allow Congress and the public to hear…
I rise in support of H.R. 4431, the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers Act of 2025, or ICAN Act, offered by Mr. Timmons and Ms. Pettersen. Like the DEAL Act, the ICAN Act also amends the definition of ``venture capital fund'' under…
Mr. Speaker, given the human rights violations committed by the Burmese leadership, we must ensure that no new funds are disbursed to the government. In line with longstanding U.S. policy, America should urge multilateral institutions like…
Our economy is struggling. People cannot afford groceries and gas. Every day, it seems more and more people are getting laid off. The American Dream is increasingly out of reach. A core engine of our economy has always been the…
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Ranking Member Green, for his good work on this bill. H.R. 3716 will ensure that if we have another banking emergency, as we did 2 years ago with several regional banks, and regulators respond…
First of all, my colleague won't admit that groceries are too high and that families cannot afford the cost of eggs and basic good foods to have great nutrition for their families. By the way, let me remind my colleagues of something. My…
Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Salazar for withdrawing her words, and let's get on with this discussion about socialism. Instead of legislating and doing the work to tackle real problems-- Americans face the skyrocketing cost of groceries…





