|
Waters Floor Statement in Support of American Rescue Plan Act
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, gave the following statement on the House floor urging the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act.
Madam Speaker, thank you so very much. I am so grateful that we have President Biden’s leadership in the White House to tackle the ongoing pandemic. H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, carries out this plan and delivers the relief communities across this country need so much.
Critically, the bill provides more than $75 billion for programs in my Committee’s jurisdiction, including: $20 billion for emergency rental assistance, $5 billion for 70,000 new housing vouchers, $10 billion in homeowner assistance, $10 billion to boost emergency medical equipment production, $10 billion for small businesses, and $15 billion for airline workers.
I’m also pleased that we are increasing the stimulus payments from $600 to $2000 for each of our constituents.
I am a happy camper tonight. This is what America needs. Republicans, you ought to be a part of this - if you are not, we are going without you. With hunger growing, and millions out of work and at risk of eviction or foreclosure, America needs this bill to be passed into law. Vote yes, everybody, on this bill.
Tweets of the Week
|
|
Member Spotlight
This week, Congressman Al Green (D-TX), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, chaired the first hearing of the Subcommittee for the 117th Congress.
Watch the virtual hearing, entitled, “How Invidious Discrimination Works and Hurts: An Examination of Lending Discrimination and Its Long-term Economic Impacts on Borrowers of Color,” here.
Waters to Powell: The Fed Must Use All of the Tools at Its Disposal to Ensure an Equitable and Swift Recovery
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, gave the following statement at a full Committee virtual hearing entitled, “Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy.”
Welcome back, Chair Powell. Since your last testimony before this Committee, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to have a devastating impact all across the country.
Over 500,000 people in the United States have lost their lives to the virus, and there have now been 27.9 million U.S cases of the virus. The economy continues to be in a crisis. Millions of families are struggling to make rent or mortgage payments through no fault of their own. Roughly one-third of small businesses remain closed, and many more are at risk of permanently shutting their doors.
I am so glad that we now have President Biden providing leadership from the White House and a real plan to tackle this crisis once and for all. With Democrats now in control of the Senate, Congress can carry out that plan and provide the nation with the relief it so urgently needs.
Click here to read her full opening statement or watch it here:
Axne Asks Fed Chair Powell About Importance of Affordable Childcare for Economy
This week, at the full Committee virtual hearing entitled, “Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy,” Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA) asked Federal Reserve Board Chair, Jerome Powell about the importance of affordable childcare for the economy.
See here for video of Rep. Axne’s question.
See here for Rep. Axne’s press release.
Waters Announces March Hearing Schedule
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, announced the following virtual hearings in the month of March:
- March 10 at 10:00 AM ET: The full Committee will convene for a virtual hearing entitled, “Justice for All: Achieving Racial Equity Through Fair Access to Housing and Financial Services.”
- March 11 at 10:00 AM ET: The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions will convene for a virtual hearing entitled, “Slipping Through the Cracks: Policy Options to Help America’s Consumer During the Pandemic.”
- March 16 at 12:00 PM ET: The Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance will convene for a virtual hearing entitled, “Preserving a Lifeline: Examining Public Housing in a Pandemic.”
- March 17 at 12:00 PM ET: The full Committee will convene for a virtual hearing entitled, “Game Stopped? Who Wins and Loses When Short Sellers, Social Media, and Retail Investors Collide, Part II.”
All hearings are livestreamed on https://democrats-financialservices.house.gov/live/.
For virtual hearings, all Members and witnesses participate remotely with no in-person participation in the hearing room.
Committee activities are finalized once an official notice is issued by the House Financial Services Committee. Visit https://democrats-financialservices.house.gov/calendar/ for the most up-to-date Committee schedule.
Weekend Reads
Chairwoman’s Corner
Waters Floor Statement in Support of the Equality Act
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, gave the following statement on the House floor urging the passage of the Equality Act.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5, the Equality Act, a critical piece of civil rights legislation.
Half a century ago, the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act became law, but we know that housing and lending discrimination remains a widespread problem. Former President Trump and his Administration were shameful and cruel adversaries to justice and civil rights, and worked to gut protections against housing and lending discrimination.
According to the National Fair Housing Alliance, sex discrimination made up the fourth greatest basis for complaints in 2019. As housing discrimination continues to harm an estimated 68 million people in the U.S., LGBTQ+ youth in particular remain at a greater risk of homelessness compared to non-LGBTQ+ youth, and same-sex couples are more likely to be denied a mortgage loan compared to hetero-sex couples.
Click here to read her markup opening remarks or watch it here.
|
