Today, in response to a letter from Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, invited the Ranking Member to work with Committee Democrats to enact meaningful change and address the many difficult problems facing our country today.

“In the 116th Congress, the Committee on Financial Services can begin to restore the confidence of America's consumers, investors and businesses in our financial markets and in the regulators who oversee these markets,” wrote Chairwoman Waters. “The Committee is also particularly well-positioned to support the most vulnerable of our constituents by tackling the homelessness and affordable housing crises. And, we must carry out our constitutionally-mandated responsibility to hold the executive branch accountable to implementing and enforcing the laws passed by Congress. I hope that you and your colleagues will join Democrats in these efforts.”

See full text of the letter below.

The Honorable Patrick McHenry
Ranking Member
Committee on Financial Services
2129 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Ranking Member McHenry:

Thank you for your letter offering to work collaboratively on the complex concerns of our constituents. You are right that we have an “historic opportunity.” This is because, in part, the American public has sent a historically diverse group of Members to Congress whose many perspectives can help us finally address the most pervasive and difficult problems facing our country today.

In the 116th Congress, the Committee on Financial Services can begin to restore the confidence of America’s consumers, investors and businesses in our financial markets and in the regulators who oversee these markets. The Committee is also particularly well-positioned to support the most vulnerable of our constituents by tackling the homelessness and affordable housing crises. And, we must carry out our constitutionally-mandated responsibility to hold the executive branch accountable to implementing and enforcing the laws passed by Congress. I hope that you and your colleagues will join Democrats in these efforts.

I’m also pleased to see from your letter that Democrats and Republicans share several of the same priorities for the Committee. I would note that several of your hearing suggestions are areas that are also of interest to Committee Democrats, who are excited that the Committee will finally consider these topics in a balanced and thoughtful manner.

I hope that we will be able to build on these initial expressions of bipartisanship to enact meaningful change that ensures fairness, creates opportunities and protects the economic well-being of all Americans. It is a new day in Congress, and a new day in the Committee on Financial Services.

Sincerely,

MAXINE WATERS
Chairwoman

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