Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, released the following statement in response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announcing the release of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s (the Enterprises) Equitable Housing Plans. “For so long, homeownership has served as the principal driver of intergenerational wealth in America. However, ... Read more »

Today, the House Financial Services Committee, led by Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), passed eight bills to keep up with an ever-changing marketplace by modernizing our regulatory framework, closing loopholes and ensuring robust oversight, along with bills to promote financial inclusion, expand access to affordable financial services, promote impactful community development and care for those exp... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, released a statement calling for Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Sandra Thompson to be nominated to lead the agency. “Today, I call on President Biden to nominate Sandra L. Thompson as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). As an independent agency, the FHFA has a ... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, released the following statement on the FHFA reversal of Trump-Era refinance penalty on homeowners. “I commend Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Thompson for her prompt and steadfast leadership in reversing the adverse market fee on July 16th, which is estimated to save homeowner... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Presidential authority to remove Federal Housing Finance Agency Director, Mark Calabria. “Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled that President Biden has the authority to fire Mark Calabria, Director of the Federal Housin... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee sent a letter to Marcia Fudge, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Thomas Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Denis McDonough, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); Dave Uejio, Acting Director of the Consumer Financia... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, gave the following statement in response to changes that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mark Calabria made to Treasury’s ownership stake in the government sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. “It is simply unacceptable that Treasury... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, sent a letter to President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, providing recommendations on areas where the Biden Administration should immediately reverse the actions of the Trump Administration, and several actions that the Biden Administration can immediately take to coordinate the federal response to COVID-1... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Committee on Financial Services, sent a letter to agencies within the Committee’s jurisdiction calling on them to cease and desist from finalizing any “midnight rulemakings” or other administrative actions until President-Elect Joseph R. Biden is sworn into office on January 20, 2021. “On November 3, 2020, the American people spoke with ... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, sent a letter to Mark Calabria, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), urging him to fully engage with Congress, halt all efforts to raise the capital requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and halt all efforts to release them from conservatorship. The letter also requests that ... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, and other House Committee Chairs sent a letter to 61 federal agencies requesting information on conversions of political appointees to civil service positions during the Trump Administration. “Protecting the nonpartisan expertise of the career civil service is essential to the safety and security of... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, and other Committee Chairs across the House of Representatives sent letters directing the White House and more than 50 federal agencies within their jurisdictions to comply with federal record-keeping laws and preserve information responsive to congressional subpoenas and investigations. “As the Tru... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, gave the following statement at a full Committee hearing entitled, “Prioritizing Fannie’s and Freddie’s Capital over America’s Homeowners and Renters? A Review of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Today, this Committee convenes for a hearing to conduct oversigh... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, announced the following virtual and hybrid hearings for the month of September: September 8 at 12:00 PM – The Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion will convene for a virtual hearing entitled, “Holding Financial Regulators Accountable for Diversity and Inclusion: Perspectives from the Offices of M... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement following the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) announcement that it would delay its recently announced adverse market fee for refinance mortgages: “Just two weeks ago, Director Calabria approved an outrageous penalty, in the middle of a pandemic and an economic recession... Read more »

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance, and Congressman Denny Heck (D-WA), sent a letter to Dr. Mark Calabria, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), urging the agency to prioritize economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pand... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA), sent a letter to Ben Carson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Mark Calabria, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), ca... Read more »

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan financial services bills to protect servicemembers from predatory debt collectors, improve the availability of affordable housing and mortgage credit, and address concerns that China is trapping developing nations in a cycle of predatory debt. The bills passed include: The Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act (H.R. 500... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, gave the following statement at a full Committee hearing entitled, “The End of Affordable Housing? A Review of the Trump Administration’s Plans to Change Housing Finance in America.” As Prepared for Delivery Today we are here to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s housing finance reform pl... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, sent a letter to Joseph Otting, Comptroller of the Currency, following President Trump’s appointment of Otting to serve as Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Ch... Read more »

Today, at a hearing entitled, “Oversight of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s role as conservator and regulator of the Government Sponsored Enterprises,” Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, gave the following statement: As Prepared for Delivery Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. We are here today for a hearing on oversight of the Federal... Read more »

Today, at a Terrorism and Illicit Finance Subcommittee hearing entitled “Illicit Use of Virtual Currency and the Law Enforcement Response,” Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, gave the following statement: As Prepared for Delivery Thank you for scheduling today’s hearing to examine the illicit uses of virtual currency and the law enforcement r... Read more »

The bill comes on the heels of Ranking Member Waters’ bill to prevent foreclosures on FHA Borrowers. A decade after the devastating foreclosure crisis, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services, continues the fight to ensure hardworking Americans can remain in their homes by introducing H.R. 6102, the Homeowner Mortgage Servicing Fairness Act o... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, released a statement in response to the release of Fannie Mae’s fourth quarter and full-year 2017 earnings report, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) decision for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to proceed with the allocation of funding to the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund in 2018... Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services, gave the following opening statement at a full committee hearing entitled “Sustainable Housing Finance: An Update from the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.” As Prepared for Delivery Today we welcome back our former colleague and my good friend, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Me... Read more »