Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, today released the following statement on the passing of Senator Edward Brooke, the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate post-reconstruction:

“I join a grateful nation in mourning the loss of a great public servant, Senator Edward Brooke. As the first African American popularly-elected to the U.S. Senate post-reconstruction, and the first elected African American state Attorney General, Mr. Brooke made the critical connection between the challenges facing minorities and the challenges facing low-income families. Mr. Brooke was a trailblazer, inspiring countless leaders who followed him to transcend partisan differences and find common-sense solutions to the problems facing our nation, including the passage of the bipartisan Fair Housing Act which, even today, works to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people. My thoughts are with his family, friends and former colleagues during this difficult time.”

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