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Press Releases

Ranking Member Waters Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing with Banking Regulators: “This Is Not What the American People Voted For.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement during a full Committee hearing entitled, “Oversight of Prudential Regulators.” Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. Vice Chair Barr, Chair Grueneberg, Chair Harper and Acting Comptroller Hsu, I want to thank each of you and all of your…

Ranking Member Waters Urges Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries to Include National Flood Insurance Program Debt Forgiveness in Disaster Supplemental

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), urging the House to take swift action to support the disaster recovery efforts through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for families and communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and…

Ranking Member Waters Applauds Long Overdue Implementation of Affordable Monthly Flood Insurance Premiums for Policyholders

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, released this statement following the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) latest action to implement Grimm-Waters Act requirements to offer policyholders the option to pay their annual flood insurance premiums in monthly installments under the National Flood Insurance Program…

Ranking Member Waters, Congresswoman Beatty Introduce Legislation to Strengthen and Reform International Financial Institutions

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, announced plans this week to introduce a legislative package aimed at strengthening and reforming the International Financial…

Ranking Member Waters Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Housing Choice Voucher Program, Recognized for Ongoing Work to Expand Affordable Housing

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following remarks in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program. During the event, HUD recognized Congresswoman Waters for her longstanding leadership and commitment in Congress to expanding…

Ranking Member Waters Sounds Alarm on Republican Inaction on Housing Crisis Following Release of Federal Report on Rising Senior Homelessness

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, released the following statement in response to the Government Accountability Office’s report highlighting the critical state of homelessness among older adults.    “Today, following a request I made in 2022 as Chairwoman of the House Financial Services…

Ranking Member Waters, U.S. Treasury Announce $10 Million Award to Support California Small Businesses

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced that the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) is being awarded $10 million to support small business growth through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a $10 billion program Congresswoman Waters…

Ranking Member Waters, Senator Warner Urge U.S. Treasury to Improve Technology Capabilities for Diverse-Owned Financial Institutions

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Community Development Finance Caucus, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary Treasury Janet Yellen, urging the Department to provide dedicated financial and training resources to improve the technology capabilities and capacity of…

Ranking Member Waters’ Statement on Hurricane Helene

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, released this statement in response to the damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. “My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Helene and the unprecedented levels of devastation communities have seen. Helene is expected to be one of the deadliest and…

ICYMI: Ranking Member Waters Leads Committee Democrats in Meeting with IMF to Discuss Promoting Global Economic Stability

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   Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, led a delegation of Committee Democrats, including Representatives Al Green (D-TX), Bill Foster (D-IL), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), and Sean Casten (D-IL), in a meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The meeting focused on how the…

Ranking Member Waters Celebrates 30-Years of FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, Slams Republicans for Putting Flood Insurance Program at Risk

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, released this statement in commemoration of the 30-year anniversary of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program. Through this program, FEMA funds mitigation projects to reduce the risk of flood damage in communities participating in the…

Ranking Member Waters Reintroduces Legislation to Promote Racial Equity in Lending to Commemorate 30th Anniversary of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund

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Today Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, announced the reintroduction of H.R. 9767, the “Promoting and Advancing Communities of Color Through Inclusive Lending Act” to support Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) in honor of the 30th anniversary of the creation of the…

Ranking Member Waters to Chairman McHenry at Hearing with Securities and Exchange Commissioners: “Before the End of This Year, I Want Us to Strike a Grand Bargain on Stablecoins and Other Long Overdue Bills.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement during a Full Committee hearing entitled, “Oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission.” Good morning. I’d like to welcome the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler, along with Commissioners Peirce, Crenshaw,…

Ranking Member Waters Opposes H.R. 4790 on House Floor: “H.R. 4790, Which I Am Calling the ‘Promoting MAGA Priorities Over Economic Growth Act,’ Is Straight Out of the Republican’s Project 2025 Playbook.”

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Today Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, took to the House floor to oppose H.R. 4790, the “Prioritizing MAGA Policies Over Economic Growth Act. Among many things, this bill would limit investors’ rights to put forward, and vote on, new corporate policies; inhibit investors’ access to crucial information about the companies they…

Ranking Member Waters Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing on Confidence Scams: “We Need More Resources at Our Federal Enforcement Agencies to Better Protect Americans and to Stop These Crime Syndicates.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement during a National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Protecting Americans’ Savings: Examining the Economics of the Multi-Billion Dollar Romance Confidence Scam Industry.” Thank…

Ranking Member Waters’ Statement on Federal Reserve’s First Interest Rate Cut Since Pandemic

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, released this statement following the Federal Reserve’s latest decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points.  “I applaud the Federal Reserve for making the necessary decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points. When the Federal Reserve made the decision to start hiking…

Ranking Member Waters Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing on Digital Assets: “…The Law Is the Law, and the SEC Is Right to Protect Investors When You Break It.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement during a Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Dazed and Confused: Breaking Down the SEC’s Politicized Approach to Digital Assets.” Thank you very much. I am very pleased to see the SEC holding bad…

Ranking Member Waters Testifies Against “Prioritizing MAGA Policies Over Economic Growth Act”

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following testimony in front of the Rules Committee on Republican-led bill H.R. 4790. Among many things, this bill would limit investors’ rights to put forward, and vote on, new corporate policies; inhibit investors’ access to crucial information about the companies they own; and…

Ranking Member Waters Announces House Passage of Bipartisan Legislation Honoring FIFA World Cup 2026, Vietnam War Heroes, and Sports Equality Icon Billie Jean King

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, announced the House’s passage, under suspension of the rules, of several bipartisan bills including the “FIFA World Cup 2026 Commemorative Coin Act” to foster soccer programs across the U.S., and two Senate bills to award Congressional Gold Medals to the Vietnam War Dustoff crews and…

Ranking Member Waters and Senator Warren Slam Meritless Lawsuit by Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association to Block Community Reinvestment Act Reforms

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Text of Letter (PDF) Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chair of the Senate Banking Committee’s Economic Policy Subcommittee, slammed the Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) and the American Bankers Association (ABA) for their efforts to block necessary reforms to the Community…

Ranking Member Waters Opposes H.R. 9456 on House Floor: “This Is a Bad Bill that Harms the Bipartisan Work We Already Passed This Year and Would Sow Divisions Among Neighbors Across America.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, took to the House floor to oppose H.R. 9456, the “Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024,” which is a bill that makes harmful and substantive changes to existing law in a way that will increase risks to our national security and concerns about racial…

Ranking Member Waters Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing on Global Governance: “We Should Support These International Discussions, Not Fear Them, to Ensure That International Standards Reflect American Values and Promote a Stable Global Financial System.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement during a Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Transparency in Global Governance.” Good morning, everyone we are exploring the topic of “transparency,” but not transparency as to whether small business…

Ranking Member Waters Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing on Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing: “It Is Just a Fact That Diverse Teams Consistently Outperform Non-Diverse Teams.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement during an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing entitled, “The Fall of ESG: Scrutinizing the Failed Use of Environmental, Social, & Governance Standards and the Influence of Proxy Advisors.” Thank you very much. Environmental,…

Ranking Member Waters Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing on Decentralized Finance: “While Decentralized Finance… Aims to Create Greater Efficiencies and Transparency, It Can Also Pose a Heightened Risk of Hacks, Scams, Unequal Information, and Conflicts of Interest That Can Harm Consumers and Investors.”

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement during a Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Decoding DeFi: Breaking Down the Future for Decentralized Finance.” While decentralized finance, or DeFi aims to create greater efficiencies and…

Ranking Member Waters Applauds Federal Judge’s Ruling to Protect CFPB’s Small Business Lending Rule

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Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, released this statement following a federal judge’s ruling to reject a number of industry claims challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) rule to collect and publish small business lending data. The ruling reinforces the CFPB’s clear authority, provided pursuant to…

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