Delivering remarks on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 5461 today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, denounced the “Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act” as an attempt to threaten the viability of the Iran nuclear deal. In her remarks, Waters noted that this bill is the “latest in a series of Republican efforts aimed at undermining the landmark nuclear agreement reached last year by Iran and the world’s six major powers.” For exa... Read more

Today, Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services; Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance; and Cedric Richmond (D-LA), reiterated their call for Committee Republicans to hold a field hearing in Baton Rouge, La., so that Members can fully understand the devastation from the recent flooding in the area and issues surrounding the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) ahead of its reauthorization. The lawmakers sen... Read more

During committee consideration of H.R. 5983, Democrats expressed their grave concerns with the bill and noted that it was simply so toxic that it was unamenable. Democrats moved for an immediate vote on the measure in the face of Republican inaction on a host of other issues facing the committee. ‎Ranking Member Waters said: "Mr. Chairman, this bill is so bad that it simply cannot be fixed. This markup is not a serious attempt to move thoughtful legislation, evidenced by the fact that we only ha... Read more

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, derided Republicans’ reckless plan to repeal Wall Street Reform during Committee consideration of H.R. 5983. In her opening statement, Waters noted that “nearly all the rules we enacted to make banks safer and stronger would be repealed, and replaced by a phony choose-your-own regulatory regime that puts the banks in the driver’s seat.” She added that, considering the massive fraud scheme that the Consumer... Read more

A growing number of groups submitted letters opposing House Republicans’ Wrong Choice Act ahead of a Committee markup of the bill, H.R. 5983, which would gut the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The letters can be found below: AFL-CIO Americans For Financial Reform CalSTRS Center for American Progress Center for Popular Democracy’s Fed Up Coalition The Center for Responsible Lending Consumer Federation of America Council of Institutional Investors Fair Arbitration Now G... Read more

In the wake of a settlement between Wells Fargo and the City and County of Los Angeles, as well as federal regulators including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, issued the following statement: “Yesterday, we learned that Wells Fargo perpetrated widespread, illegal conduct, including secretly opening an estimated 1.5 million deposit and... Read more

During general debate on H.R. 5424 on the House floor today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, led opposition to the measure, which would roll back Dodd-Frank’s much-needed oversight and transparency measures for private equity funds, hedge funds, and others in the shadow banking industry. In her remarks, Waters lamented that the Republican-led House is focusing on protecting “Wall Street profits,” rather than working in a bipartisan manne... Read more

During floor consideration of H.R. 2357, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of Committee on Financial Services, urged rejection of the bill, which would harm American investors and small businesses and thwart regulators’ abilities to police the markets against fraud. In her remarks, Ranking Member Waters criticized House Republicans for “prioritizing a bill that would make it easier for companies to scam investors by escaping regulatory scrutiny,” instead of addressing “a host of... Read more

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, today introduced a bill, H.R. 5953, to forgive the $23 billion in debt at the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and place the program on a path toward solvency and affordability ahead of its reauthorization in fiscal 2017. The NFIP provides flood insurance to more than 5 million households and businesses in the United States, providing more than $1 trillion in coverage. The program is also an integra... Read more

In the wake of historic flooding in the Baton Rouge, La., area, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services and long-time friend to the Louisiana area, visited the disaster-affected region. Rep. Waters met with local officials as well as affected residents to review the damage, assess the federal government’s response thus far, and understand key issues ahead of the need to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) by September 30, 2017... Read more

Today, in the face of the historic flooding in Louisiana, a trio of House Democratic lawmakers called on Republican leadership of the Financial Services Committee to hold a field hearing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to examine the government’s response to the recent flooding in that area, and to better inform the Committee as it prepares to consider the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is set to expire on September 30, 2017. In the letter to Committee Chairman ... Read more

Following historic flooding in Louisiana and the President’s disaster declaration leaving open the possibility that the state may have to cover 25 percent of public assistance funds, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D – CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services sent a letter to President Obama and called on him to use his authority to provide relief for the state and require the federal government to pay for 100 percent of public assistance. Due to the low take up rates of the Natio... Read more

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, issued the following statement in the wake of historic flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana: “As the devastating flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana demonstrates, too many Americans receive outdated and incorrect signals from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Only a small fraction of residents who found themselves in harm's way were considered to be in a flood zone and therefore most did not purcha... Read more

Today, 65 House Democrats, led by Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services; John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary; and Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, sent a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau expressing strong support for its proposal to limit forced arbitration in consumer contracts. The rule would ban class-ac... Read more

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, issued the following statement on the sixth anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, highlighting the successes of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as it celebrates five years of working for consumers: “In the six years since we enacted Wall Street Reform, we have seen a financial system that works better for consumers and an economy that is stronger because of ... Read more

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, issued the following statement on Senate passage of H.R. 3700, “The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2015,” that will make improvements to federal housing programs: “I am pleased that Congress has come together to improve some of our most important federal housing programs. The Senate cleared legislation, H.R. 3700, that will make modest, incremental reforms to help these programs better op... Read more

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, sent a letter urging the Department of Justice to pursue prosecution of HSBC employees over alleged financial crimes related to money laundering. Waters opposed the approach the Justice Department took in 2012 when allegations surfaced that HSBC failed to prevent money laundering by international drug cartels and helped clients to move hundreds of millions of dollars to several countries under U.... Read more

As the House considered H.R. 4992, the so-called “United States Financial System Protection Act,” Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, called out Republicans for rushing a harmful bill to the floor on the last day of session as part of their “reckless and politically driven ‘Iran week’ agenda.” In floor remarks opposing the bill, Waters noted that it would violate the Iran nuclear deal by reapplying secondary sanctions that had been lifted as... Read more

In opening remarks during a Financial Services Committee markup today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Committee’s Ranking Member, expressed concern with legislation that would violate or undermine the U.S.’s commitments under the Iran nuclear deal. “We are considering two pieces of legislation today that would have serious consequences for our ability to uphold the Iran nuclear deal and a third bill which reflects the latest in a long string of baseless and politically motivated attacks... Read more

In opening remarks at a House Financial Services Committee hearing today with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) criticized Republicans for “hijacking a very important topic in order to launch attacks on the Secretary, and the Department, rather than substantively examine the issues impacting working people in this country.” Waters highlighted the need for changes to the HUD’s Distressed Asset Stabilization Program so that it can better ... Read more

Today, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on the Republican plan to gut the Dodd-Frank Act. Committee Democrats and the Democratic witness, Georgetown University Law Professor Adam Levitin, explained how this plan would benefit special interests and expose us to another financial crisis. “The Choice Act is a bad choice, is a recipe for financial disaster. It prioritizes ideologically driven positions over careful and serious policy analysis and reasoning, and the fate of the U... Read more

In opening remarks during a Financial Services Committee hearing today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Committee’s Ranking Member, denounced Republicans’ deregulatory agenda that puts the needs of special interests above working Americans. Waters noted that Chairman Hensarling’s legislation, the “Wrong Choice Act,” to gut Dodd-Frank would make “radical changes to our financial regulatory framework that would harm consumers and the greater economy.” This would include giving banks a “hal... Read more

Tomorrow, the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on Chairman Hensarling’s plan to gut Wall Street Reform. Here’s why repealing Dodd-Frank is the Wrong Choice for consumers, investors, and the entire financial system: For more information on the legislation: Summary of the “Wrong Choice Act” Opposition to the “Wrong Choice Act” Waters: We Must Build on Wall Street Reform, Not Dismantle It ### Read more

Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), and 21 of their colleagues sent a bipartisan letter asking that FEMA fulfill its legal obligation to provide oversight of the private insurance companies that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In the wake of Superstorm Sandy and other recent disasters, FEMA and NFIP have faced accusations of incompetence and fraud. A recent PBS Frontline documentary entitled, “The Business of Disaster” e... Read more

Last night, the House of Representatives passed a harmful Republican spending bill, H.R. 5485, which would underfund the nation’s financial services regulators for fiscal year 2017 and put consumer protection and financial stability at risk. Despite Democratic efforts to improve the bill through the amendment process, Republicans pushed through this legislation, which would make it harder for financial regulators to protect consumers, investors, and the entire financial system. The bill “so grav... Read more