In opening remarks during a Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee hearing, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, associated the hazards of previously unregulated financial products, such as payday lending, to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is preparing regulations for… 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… 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… 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… 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.… 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… 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… Read more »

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is not alone in having racial disparities in its performance reviews, according to a report issued Thursday by the Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee. The report found that all seven bank, credit union and market regulators displayed significant disparities in employee evaluations, particularly among African-Americans who… 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… Read more »

In opening remarks during a Financial Services Committee markup today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Committee’s Ranking Member, outlined the negative impacts of the group of bills under consideration and stressed the need to revive export credit financing for American businesses and workers. Specifically, the Ranking Member pointed out that the measures threaten to hamper… Read more »

In opening remarks during today’s full Committee hearing with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services panel, commended the results outlined in the agency’s semi-annual report. Waters also underscored the importance of the agency’s work to develop rules on payday lending, debt collection… Read more »

Today, several leading Democrats on the Financial Services Committee urged two federal agencies to “immediately” begin rulemaking to implement a key civil rights provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. In a letter led by Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), 13 lawmakers urged Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray and Federal Reserve… Read more »

At today’s Financial Services committee hearing on data security breaches, Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) cautioned lawmakers to ensure that any Congressional effort to set national enforcement and notification standards provide a strong federal minimum, ensure flexibility for states to build on those minimum standards and avoid hamstringing their ability to adapt and strengthen them… Read more »

As the House considers H.R. 1195, legislation related to advisory boards at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, lamented yet another underhanded attempt by the Republican majority to undermine the consumer watchdog by significantly cutting its budget. As originally written, the… Read more »

In advance of final votes today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, led efforts to oppose the so-called “Mortgage Choice Act,” (H.R. 685) a measure that would weaken vital consumer protections for low-income Americans looking to purchase a home, exponentially increase mortgage costs, and undo the critical work of the Consumer… Read more »

Leading opposition to final passage of the “Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act” on the House Floor, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, criticized the measure for rolling back critical borrower protections put in place by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, undercutting the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act and… Read more »

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, today delivered testimony in front of the House Rules Committee, stating her strong opposition to two measures, the “Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act,” (H.R. 650) and the “Mortgage Choice Act,” (H.R. 685) . In her testimony, the top Democrat described the consequences of enacting these… Read more »

Following an announcement by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) of its intent to draft rules to deter payday lending abuse, and in advance of President Obama’s trip to Birmingham, Alabama to speak about the matter, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, underscored her support for the Bureau’s action. Waters, a strong… Read more »

During opening remarks at a Financial Services Committee markup of nearly a dozen legislative proposals today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Committee’s Ranking Member, outlined a number of areas where Democrats are willing to with Republicans to find bipartisan compromise. However, the Ranking Member also stressed that while Democrats are willing to work with their… Read more »

At a hearing to consider Republican proposals to “preserve consumer choice” today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, expressed skepticism with the majority’s assertion that these proposals would accomplish anything for our nation’s consumers. Waters pointed out the irony of the hearing’s theme, noting that most proposals to be… Read more »

Following the release of a report she requested, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, reacted to findings related to diversity and inclusion at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Last year, Waters led eight other Democratic members of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in requesting reports by Inspectors… Read more »

During today’s hearing to review the semi-annual report of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, praised the agency’s work to diligently protect consumers and ensure fairness in the financial system, even in the face of historic Republican efforts to undermine, eliminate and render the… Read more »

As the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) testifies on Capitol Hill today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, is raising serious concerns about the Republican majority’s newest effort to undermine the consumer agency through its unilateral subpoena authority. In a letter to Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling… Read more »

In the aftermath of an agreement to provide $480 million in financial relief to students wrestling with predatory loans from now-defunct Corinthian colleges, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, has called for greater clarity surrounding the student loan servicers who are charged with forgiving the debt. In letters sent Wednesday to… Read more »

Over the course of a two-day markup of Republican fiscal year 2016 budgetary priorities in the financial services sector, Financial Services Committee Democrats fought back against a Republican effort to eliminate taxpayer protections and undermine the social safety net. Led by Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), Democrats fiercely opposed rampant mischaracterizations of critical… Read more »