Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, announced that she sent letters to the leadership of the House Committee on Appropriations urging appropriators to fund programs that would address our nation’s worsening housing and homelessness crises; support small, minority-owned businesses; and protect our nation’s investors and capital markets. Waters’ request follows the release of President Trump’s budget proposal, which calls for cuts to these key programs.
Ranking Member Waters sent the following letters to the Committee on Appropriations:
Letters on the Housing and Homelessness Crises:
Requesting robust funding for all housing programs: A least $150 billion in housing investments in accordance with, the “Housing Crisis Response Act.” This bill, introduced by Congresswoman Waters, reflects the housing title of the Build Back Better Act, which passed the House in 2021 with support from over 100 cross-industry stakeholders from across the country representing urban, rural, and suburban America. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Joyce Beatty, Donald Beyer, Suzanne Bonamici, André Carson, Greg Casar, Judy Chu, Emanuel Cleaver, Steve Cohen, Danny Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Cleo Fields, Maxwell Frost, Jesús García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Vicente Gonzalez, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Jared Huffman, Jonathan Jackson, Greg Landsman, Summer Lee, Sam T. Liccardo, Stephen F. Lynch, Morgan McGarvey, James McGovern, Gregory W. Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ilhan Omar, Stacey Plaskett, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, Jamie Raskin, Janice Schakowsky, Adam Smith, Rashida Tlaib, Nydia Velázquez, Nikema Williams, Frederica Wilson.
Requesting downpayment assistance: To fund $100 million through HUD’s HOME Program, in line with Ranking Member Waters’ “Downpayment Toward Equity Act,” to provide downpayment, interest rate buydown, and other upfront cost assistance to first-time, first-generation homebuyers who are seeking to purchase their first home in today’s housing market. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: Sylvia R. Garcia, Al Green, Stephen F. Lynch, Nikema Williams, Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Jan Schakowsky, Emanuel Cleaver, Ilhan Omar, Ted W. Lieu, Greg Landsman, André Carson, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Joyce Beatty, James P. McGovern, Jesús G. "Chuy" García, Delia C. Ramirez, Ayanna Pressley, Salud Carbajal, Stacey E. Plaskett, Juan Vargas, Danny K. Davis, Frederica S. Wilson, Gregory W. Meeks, Rashida Tlaib, Nydia Velázquez, Jonathan L. Jackson, Sam T. Liccardo, Eric Swalwell, Gwen S. Moore.
Requesting funding to help strengthen underserved communities: To provide at least $4.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant, which is one of the most effective federal programs for growing local economies and providing a lifeline to families and communities. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: James P. McGovern, María Elvira Salazar, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., LaMonica McIver, Gwen S. Moore, Joyce Beatty, Jahana Hayes, Jennifer L. McClellan, Kevin Mullin, Julia Brownley, Salud Carbajal, Rashida Tlaib, Danny K. Davis, Jimmy Gomez, Delia C. Ramirez, Ro Khanna, Juan Vargas, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Patrick K. Ryan, Jill Tokuda, Gregory W. Meeks, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Joaquin Castro, Brendan Boyle, Val Hoyle, Stacey E. Plaskett, Linda T. Sánchez, Donald G. Davis, Steven Horsford, Jim Himes, Emanuel Cleaver, II, Nydia Velázquez, Jonathan L. Jackson, Sharice L. Davids, Kimberlyn King-Hinds, Gabe Vasquez, Rick Larsen, Eric Sorensen, Robin L. Kelly, Mark DeSaulnier, Mary Gay Scanlon, Steve Cohen, Lateefah Simon, Sara Jacobs, Jerrold Nadler, Jason Crow, Chellie Pingree, Mike Thompson, Dina Titus, William R. Keating, Terri A. Sewell, Richard E. Neal, Greg Landsman, Paul D. Tonko, Ilhan Omar, Jesús G. "Chuy" García, Mark Takano, Angie Craig, Frederica S. Wilson, Vicente Gonzalez, Pramila Jayapal, Lori Trahan, Ami Bera, M.D., Yvette D. Clarke, Seth Magaziner, Nikki Budzinski, Brittany Pettersen, Yassamin Ansari, Seth Moulton, Julie Johnson, Shontel M. Brown, Al Green, Jimmy Panetta, Nellie Pou, Joe Neguse, Zoe Lofgren, Ted W. Lieu, Sam T. Liccardo, Chris Pappas, George Latimer, Diana DeGette, Adam Smith, Kweisi Mfume, David Scott, Morgan McGarvey, Bill Foster, Sarah Elfreth, John W. Mannion, Eric Swalwell, Jared Moskowitz, Frank Pallone, Jr., Suhas Subramanyam, Maxine Dexter, Laura Friedman, Jared Huffman, Donald Norcross, Valerie P. Foushee, Jan Schakowsky, Suzanne Bonamici, Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Robert Garcia, Marilyn Strickland, Herbert C. Conaway, Jr., Kim Schrier, M.D., André Carson, Doris Matsui, Judy Chu, Kelly Morrison, Ayanna Pressley, Robert J. Menendez, Dwight Evans, Luz M. Rivas, Marc A. Veasey, Jared Golden, Andrea Salinas, Maggie Goodlander, Sylvia R. Garcia, Joe Courtney, Suzan K. DelBene, Bradley Scott Schneider, Derek T. Tran.
Requesting additional funding to uplift rural communities: To increase funding and provide programmatic flexibilities to support, expand, and preserve rental assistance and affordable housing developments in rural America through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Housing Service. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: Emanuel Cleaver, Alma Adams, Ph.D., Yassamin Ansari, Joyce Beatty, Troy Carter, Sean Casten, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Joe Courtney, Mark DeSaulnier, Cleo Fields, Shomari Figures, Bill Foster, Sylvia Garcia, Vicente Gonzalez, Al Green, James Himes, Val Hoyle, Rick Larsen, Sam T. Liccardo, Stephen F. Lynch, Gregory W. Meeks, Brittany Pettersen, Delia Ramirez, Mark Takano, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez.
Requesting funding for at risk of homelessness college students: To update a legacy appropriations provision that since Fiscal Year 2026, has continued to inadvertently lock low-income college students, including those who may be experiencing or at risk of homelessness, out of stable housing opportunities. See the full letterhere. Co-signers include: Al Green, Stephen F. Lynch, Nikema Williams, Greg Landsman, André Carson, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Joyce Beatty, James P. McGovern, Jesús G. "Chuy" García, Ayanna Pressley, Sylvia R. Garcia, Stacey E. Plaskett, Danny K. Davis, Gregory W. Meeks, Rashida Tlaib, Greg Casar, Nydia Velázquez, Jonathan L. Jackson, Jan Schakowsky, Sam T. Liccardo, Cleo Fields.
Requesting robust funding to combat natural disasters: To fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning program at $600 million in Fiscal Year 2026 and commit to maintaining this funding level over the next 5 years to invest a total of $5 billion into FEMA’s Risk MAP program. This mapping effort helps communities to better understand their flood risks and how they can prepare for and mitigate those risks. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: Joyce Beatty, Nikki Budzinski, André Carson, Sean Casten, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Danny Davis, Cleo Fields, Shomari Figures, Lizzie Fletcher, Bill Foster, Maxwell Frost, Jesús García, Sylvia Garcia, Vicente Gonzalez, Josh Gottheimer, Sam T. Liccardo, Stephen F. Lynch, Gregory W. Meeks, Jared Moskowitz, Kevin Mullin, Frank Pallone, Brittany Pettersen, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, David Scott, Brad Sherman, Ritchie Torres, Nydia Velázquez, Nikema Williams.
Support Small Businesses and Community Financial Institutions:
Requesting funding supporting minority businesses: To fund the Minority Business Development Agency, the only federal agency charged to focus on the unique needs of minority business enterprises. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: Al Green, Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Brendan Boyle, Shontel Brown, André Carson, Sean Casten, Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Gilbert Cisneros, Emanuel Cleaver, Steve Cohen, Joe Courtney, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Dwight Evans, Lizzie Fletcher, Maxwell Frost, Jesús García, Sylvia Garcia, Jimmy Gomez, Josh Gottheimer, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Sam T. Liccardo, Stephen F. Lynch, Doris Matsui, Jennifer McClellan, James McGovern, Gregory W. Meeks, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Frank Pallone, Brittany Pettersen, Ayanna Pressley, David Scott, Mikie Sherrill, Adam Smith, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Rashida Tlaib, Juan Vargas, Nikema Williams, Frederica Wilson.
Requesting robust funding supporting underserved and underrepresented communities: To fully fund the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) and the National Credit Union Administration’s (NCUA) Community Development Revolving Loan Fund (CDRLF) to support diverse and mission-driven community financial institutions, including community development financial institutions (CDFIs), minority depository institutions (MDIs), and low-income credit unions. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: Joyce Beatty, Shontel Brown, Emanuel Cleaver, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Cleo Fields, Lizzie Fletcher, Bill Foster, Maxwell Frost, Sylvia Garcia, Vicente Gonzalez, Al Green, Sam T. Liccardo, Ted Lieu, Stephen F. Lynch, Sarah McBride, James McGovern, Gregory W. Meeks, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ilhan Omar, Brittany Pettersen, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, David Scott, Robert Scott, Adam Smith, Rashida Tlaib, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Nikema Williams.
Protect Our Nation’s Investors:
Requesting funding for consumer protections: To fully fund the Securities and Exchange Commission--Wall Street’s cop on the beat, which is tasked with the important mission to (1) protect investors; (2) maintain fair, orderly, and efficient capital markets; and (3) facilitate capital formation. See the full letter here. Co-signers include: Joyce Beatty, André Carson, Greg Casar, Sean Casten, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Emanuel Cleaver, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Bill Foster, Laura Friedman, Maxwell Frost, Sylvia Garcia, Vicente Gonzalez, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Val Hoyle, Sam T. Liccardo, Ted Lieu, Stephen F. Lynch, Morgan McGarvey, James McGovern, Gregory W. Meeks, Kevin Mullin, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ilhan Omar, Brittany Pettersen, Chellie Pingree, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, Janice Schakowsky, David Scott, Brad Sherman, Adam Smith, Rashida Tlaib, Ritchie Torres, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Nikema Williams.
