In opening remarks during today’s semi-annual Humphrey-Hawkins hearing with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, commended the progress made under the leadership of the Federal Reserve, Democrats in Congress, and the Obama administration, but noted that “significant work remains” to elevate the needs of the most vulnerable populations. In her remarks, Waters also raised concerns with the Federal Reserve'... Read more

In remarks on the House floor today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, led Democrats in opposition to H.R. 766, the so-called “Financial Institution Customer Protection Act of 2015”, a dangerous measure that would severely limit the Justice Department’s ability to investigate and prosecute bank fraud. In her remarks, Waters underscored that this measure would eliminate core provisions of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enfo... Read more

Delivering remarks on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 1675 today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of Committee on Financial Services, led Democrats in denouncing the inaptly-named “Capital Markets Improvement Act of 2016,” a bill that includes several provisions that instead of improving our capital markets, would actually harm investors, the SEC and small businesses in our country. In her remarks, Ranking Member Waters noted that H.R. 1675 will reduce corporate transpar... Read more

During floor consideration of H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2015, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of Financial Services Committee, urged support of the bill, which seeks to enact several incremental changes across a number of federal housing programs that will allow affordable housing providers to better serve low-income families in need of housing assistance. H.R. 3700 includes text of Legislation introduced earlier this year by Ranking Membe... Read more

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, rebuked Committee Republicans for putting forth budget views that ignore the significant progress that has been made since the 2008 crisis. Waters highlighted that the Republican budget failed to provide real solutions that will address the problems of the racial wealth gap, homelessness, consumer protection, investor protection and a stable financial system. She released the following statement, which ... Read more

At today’s Financial Services Committee hearing entitled, “How to Create a More Robust and Private Flood Insurance Marketplace,” Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, discussed private sector involvement in the flood insurance market. Ranking Member Waters was encouraged by the discussion to improve the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act, H.R. 2901, but underscored some concerns she has, while advocating for a bipartisan bill ... Read more

Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Representatives Keith Ellison (D-MN), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), and Michael Capuano (D-MA) are calling for a joint Department of Justice (DOJ) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) investigation in response to the Seattle Times and Buzzfeed News’ investigative series concerning allegations of discriminatory lending and collection practices by Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries Clayton Homes, Vanderbilt Mortgage, and 21st Mortgage. T... Read more

In response to a Democratic staff report highlighting shortcomings in personnel diversity policies and practices at seven major financial regulators, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, along with senior members of the panel and members of the Tri-Caucus, released the agencies’ responses to the report’s recommendations for enhancing diversity in the workplace and improving compliance with diversity statutes, particularly section 1116 of the ... Read more

Following the vote by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to raise the federal funds rate target by 25 basis points, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, cautioned policymakers to carefully consider the adverse impact that further rate increases would entail for low income Americans and minority communities. Ranking Member Waters released the following statement: “Today’s decision by the Federal Open Market Committee to increase rates re... Read more

In response to recent violent attacks in San Bernardino, CA and abroad, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, has re-introduced legislation to heighten accountability on financial institutions to improve anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism safeguards. By holding bank executives personally liable and increasing penalties for willful and negligent violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, the measure would encourage banks to take appropriate s... Read more

During a hearing where members of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, or FSOC, appeared before the full Committee, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, underscored the need for a coordinating regulatory body in the wake of the financial crisis and highlighted its work to provide stability to investors, consumers and our national economy. Waters reminded Members of the damage caused by the crisis, while noting that repeated attempts by ... Read more

As the House completed votes on final passage of H.R. 22, and with it the four-year reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, hosted a press conference to mark the long-awaited renewal of the export credit agency. Waters discussed the many ways she and other supporters have worked to achieve reauthorization of the Bank, which has helped support hundreds of thousands of American jobs and enabled thousands ... Read more

During floor consideration of H.R. 3189, the so-called FORM Act, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of Financial Services Committee, urged rejection of the bill, which seeks to hamstring the Federal Reserve’s ability respond to variable market conditions, limit its independence, and undercut its efforts to fulfill its dual mandate. H.R. 3189 also adds an additional layer of bureaucracy to monetary policy making, establishing a Monetary Policy Commission that would review and make... Read more

During general debate on the Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act, H.R. 1210, 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 allow the largest banks in the country to make the sorts of predatory and risky loans that left the American economy on the brink of collapse. The top Democrat went on to underscore the most harmful aspects of H.R. 1210, as it would scale back the ability-t... Read more

Delivering remarks on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 1737 today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of Committee on Financial Services, denounced efforts to undermine policies to root out longstanding discriminatory lending practices in auto financing. Waters specifically pointed to the consequences of the bill, which would nullify critical guidance to prevent auto-lending discrimination and leave minority buyers exposed to undisclosed mark-ups and higher interest rates. S... Read more

Following the release of the results of the most recent independent actuarial analysis, which indicate that the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMIF) has reached its Congressionally mandated capital reserve ratio, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, applauded FHA’s efforts to both strengthen the MMIF and expand access to homeownership for low-to-moderate income working families in the wake of the worst financial crisis in a generation. In pa... Read more

In response to a solicitation by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) for the public to offer ideas on alleviating poverty and housing affordability in light of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 50th anniversary, Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), outlined a number of existing, proven approaches that already are helping to improve HUD’s efforts to provide the nation’s most vulnerable with housing that is safe, decent and affordable. In the let... Read more

United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), along with House Committee on Financial Services Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and 12 other congressional leaders on college accountability today sent a bicameral letter urging the Department of Education (ED) to grant imme... Read more

Financial Services Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), participated in a Subcommittee field hearing, requested by Democrats, held today at the Port of New Orleans to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and review Federal efforts to support the City’s recovery. Several officials participated in the day’s events, including Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (D-MO), Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO),... Read more

Following passage today of H.R. 22, the DRIVE Act, by a vote of 371 – 54, which included a hard-fought, long-term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, praised colleagues, exporters, workers and business owners, and a broad coalition of advocacy groups on their tireless efforts to revive the export credit agency. The vote culminated more than two years of advocacy by House Democrats, both in leadershi... Read more

Federal financial services agencies have yet to reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the American population in their workforces – this according to a Democratic Financial Services Committee staff report released during a press conference today led by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee. Senior Democratic Members in attendance included the Chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Congressional Asian Pacific America... Read more

In advance of testimony by Chair Janet Yellen to discuss the Federal Reserve Board’s implementation of Dodd- Frank rules, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, pointed out the importance of the Fed’s supervisory role in preventing large banks and firms like AIG from ever destabilizing the American financial system again. The top Democrat praised the Fed’s efforts to stabilize the economy and implement broad reforms to the banking industry, and... Read more

On Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, will join representatives and chairs of the tri-caucus to unveil a report, highlighting federal financial services agencies’ current compliance with federal diversity provisions, trends in performance review evaluations and workforce diversity throughout these agencies. During the event, participants will discuss their reaction to the data, which was compiled ov... Read more

Following the release of a new Department of Education rule this week, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, joined Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) in expressing their support for critical protections that would put an end to financial companies steering college students to abusive, predatory financial products. In 2009, President Obama signed the CARD Act into law, banni... Read more

In remarks on the House floor today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, led Democrats in opposition to H.R. 1090, the so-called Retail Investor Protection Act, a measure that would stall the Department of Labor’s rulemaking establishing critical consumer protections from conflicted investment advice. The top Democrat outlined the Department’s efforts to address concerns from the general public, including a 164-day comment period, four days ... Read more