Maxine Waters embraces role as top Democrat on powerful financial committee
[SCPR.ORG] Comrade Maxine Waters has settled into her new job. This term, the L.A. Congresswoman became the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The appointment came after a three-year fight to clear her name on banking-related ethics charges.
Waters waited a long time for the position -- 22 years. She says when she first came to Congress, "People were fleeing the old banking committee because of the [savings-and-loan] scandal and nobody wanted it."
Waters notes: "I stayed, I worked, I've learned, and I've earned the seniority."
With Republicans in charge of the House, Waters admits her ability to get things done is limited. But she still has a to-do list: reform of the quasi-governmental mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, boosting construction of residential rental property, and defending the landmark financial oversight law known as Dodd Frank.
Waters says the resistance isn't just from Republicans. She says banks are pushing back on Dodd Frank by making it tough for consumers to get loans and mortgages, "because they want to show us that we've got to work with them."
Posted by: Fred 2013-06-07 |