Press Releases

In an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 301-91, today the U.S. House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation designed to end unaffordable flood insurance rate hikes. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, today lauded passage of H.R. 3370, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) joined her Democratic colleagues in signing a discharge petition to extend unemployment insurance. This special congressional procedure allows a majority of members to bypass Speaker Boehner and force an up or down vote on the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (H.R. 3546). This bill would extend emergency unemployment insurance for nearly 5 million Americans looking for work through the end of the year.

As the House of Representatives stood poised to approve legislation to increase the government's borrowing authority, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, urged passage of the measure. Waters underscored the importance of the "clean" debt ceiling increase as critical to avoiding economic catastrophe. She also pointed out that once again, the Democratic party had to supply the votes necessary to protect the nation's well-being.

Today, in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), a longtime leader of congressional efforts to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, research, testing, and treatment, called for continued vigilance in the fight against HIV/AIDS. She made her remarks at a press conference organized by the Black AIDS Institute in Carson, CA.

Yesterday on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), a strong advocate for the Haitian people in the U.S. Congress, introduced a bipartisan resolution to honor the 210th anniversary of Haiti's independence (H.Res. 474) and presented a copy of the resolution to Haitian President Michel Martelly. President Martelly was in Washington, DC meeting with Members of Congress and President Obama. Haiti declared its independence from France on January 1, 1804, 210 years ago, following a revolt among African slaves against their French colonial masters.

Today, House Republicans rejected a Democratic procedural motion to bring bipartisan legislation that would delay the implementation of flood insurance increases up for a vote.

Using a parliamentary procedure called the "previous question," House Republicans blocked an effort to bring H.R. 3370, the bipartisan Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, to the House floor. This legislation, which has 182 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, recently passed the U.S. Senate by an overwhelming majority of 67-32.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) released the following statement today in recognition of Black History Month, a commemoration that has taken place since 1976.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, lauded tonight's Senate vote to move forward with debate on the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, bipartisan legislation introduced in the House and Senate to fix the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The Senate voted 86-13 on the procedural motion, which would delay increases in flood insurance premiums until the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) puts in place a plan to ensure they are implemented affordably.