Delivering remarks on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 1737 today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of Committee on Financial Services, denounced efforts to undermine policies to root out longstanding discriminatory lending practices in auto financing. Waters specifically pointed to the consequences of the bill, which would nullify critical guidance to prevent auto-lending d... Read more »

In advance of testimony by Chair Janet Yellen to discuss the Federal Reserve Board’s implementation of Dodd- Frank rules, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, pointed out the importance of the Fed’s supervisory role in preventing large banks and firms like AIG from ever destabilizing the American financial system again. The top Democrat praised... Read more »

On Dec. 11, the stop-gap spending measure currently funding the government will expire. But instead of looking for ways to help Main Street and pull America back from a self-imposed budget “cliff,” Republicans in Congress are already planning how to use this year-end deadline as a way to push through Wall Street’s Christmas wish-list. In my role as the ranking Democratic member on the House Financ... Read more »

The leading Democrats on the Senate Banking and House Financial Services Committees today voiced their strong objections to Republican efforts to use must-pass government funding legislation to repeal, undermine, or delay financial reforms and consumer protections. In a letter to Congressional leaders, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said they will oppose efforts to use ide... Read more »

At the second in a series of hearings on the fifth anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Act, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, noted that while Dodd-Frank has done much to stabilize our financial system, the devastating effects of the crisis continue to affect some of the most vulnerable segments of our population. She also underscored the importance ... Read more »

At a hearing to discuss the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act's increased capital and liquidity requirements for the nation's biggest banks, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of Financial Services Committee, strongly rebuked critics by showing how these requirements have effectively stabilized and strengthened financial markets. The top Democrat pointed to reports of record profit... Read more »

Five years after its passage, a new report has concluded that while the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act has been successful in the face of constant Republican attack, more must be done to ensure all Americans can benefit from our nation's recovery. The findings were announced today as part of a comprehensive report released by Democratic staff on the Financial Services Committee, at the directio... Read more »

Complaints about illiquidity are prompting talk about reforms that are simplistic and even dangerous. For months everyone in financial markets has been talking about liquidity. Some say regulation has killed it, and the answer is to roll back financial reform. The reality is not so simple, and that prescription is dangerous. The marketplace is rapidly evolving. We must address future challenges wi... Read more »

At a hearing to commemorate the five year anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, issued a strong rebuke to Republican attacks on the landmark law, recounting the devastation of the crisis, the success of the law thus far, and documenting Republicans’ efforts to return to the practices that brought the e... Read more »

Today, several leading Democrats on the Financial Services Committee urged two federal agencies to “immediately” begin rulemaking to implement a key civil rights provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. In a letter led by Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), 13 lawmakers urged Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray and Federal Reserve Chair Janet ... Read more »

The International Monetary Fund has called for the US to defend and strengthen its Dodd-Frank financial reforms, adding fuel to the intense debate over how to balance stability and growth on Wall Street. In its first comprehensive assessment of the American financial system in five years, the IMF said the US needed to toughen regulation to ward off a repeat of the last financial crisis. The interv... Read more »

WASHINGTON — Too little, too late. That is how some consumer groups and lawmakers describe new federal guidelines meant to encourage banks and other financial companies to hire, promote and properly treat racial minorities and other historically disadvantaged groups. The guidelines, issued June 9 and mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act, provide a framework for financial institutions to conduct "self-as... Read more »

Today, two leading Democratic Members of Congress are raising concerns with the release of final diversity assessment standards by six federal financial regulators, which were called for by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. In a joint statement Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee and chief architect of the provision, known as “Section 342” jo... Read more »

As the White House intensifies its push for Trade Promotion Authority from Congress so it can conclude talks on the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), yesterday Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, expressed concern that the TPP could undermine essential financial reforms, including those passed as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform... Read more »

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives teamed up with their counterparts in the Senate on Wednesday to promote a banking regulatory relief bill they say is better than a broader version pushed by Republicans. House Financial Services Ranking Member Maxine Waters announced at a news conference that all of the Democrats on her panel support a bill unveiled last month by Senate Banking Rankin... Read more »

As the House Agriculture Committee considers legislation that would renew the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, expressed concern over provisions that would make changes to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, and weaken derivatives rules. Waters released the following statement: “This harmful prop... Read more »

At a subcommittee hearing related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, reminded her colleagues as to why bold action was needed in the aftermath of the worst crisis since the Great Depression. She also underscored Dodd-Frank’s popularity with the American public and reiterated the few legislative days left until ... Read more »

Last year the vampires of finance bought themselves a Congress. I know it’s not nice to call them that, but I have my reasons, which I’ll explain in a bit. For now, however, let’s just note that these days Wall Street, which used to split its support between the parties, overwhelmingly favors the G.O.P. And the Republicans who came to power this year are returning the favor by trying to kill Dodd-... Read more »

In advance of final votes today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, led efforts to oppose the so-called “Mortgage Choice Act,” (H.R. 685) a measure that would weaken vital consumer protections for low-income Americans looking to purchase a home, exponentially increase mortgage costs, and undo the critical work of the Consumer Financial Protec... Read more »

Leading opposition to final passage of the “Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act” on the House Floor, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, criticized the measure for rolling back critical borrower protections put in place by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, undercutting the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act and encouraging the... Read more »

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, today delivered testimony in front of the House Rules Committee, stating her strong opposition to two measures, the “Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act,” (H.R. 650) and the “Mortgage Choice Act,” (H.R. 685) . In her testimony, the top Democrat described the consequences of enacting these measures... Read more »

During opening remarks at a Financial Services Committee markup of nearly a dozen legislative proposals today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Committee’s Ranking Member, outlined a number of areas where Democrats are willing to with Republicans to find bipartisan compromise. However, the Ranking Member also stressed that while Democrats are willing to work with their Republican colleagues... Read more »

Today, Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) joined Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) in calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to finalize its rule requiring publicly-traded corporations to publicly disclose the ratio of the compensation for their CEO to the compensation of their median ... Read more »

Following the release of a report she requested, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, reacted to findings related to diversity and inclusion at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Last year, Waters led eight other Democratic members of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in requesting reports by Inspectors General at the ... Read more »

As the House of Representatives considered legislation weakening Wall Street’s cash-strapped regulators, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, delivered sharp remarks rebuking H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015. Dubbing it as ‘anti-consumer,’ Waters criticized the burdensome, time-consuming rulemaking requiremen... Read more »