Maxine (Maxine) Waters (D-USH43)
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Capitol: 202.225.2201
FAX: 202.225.7854
District: 323.757.8900
District FAX: 323.757.9506
Representative
Room 2221 RHOB- Rayburn House Office Building 50 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20515-0543

Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Elected: 1990    Next Election: 2024
Spouse: Sidney Williams   DOB: 8/15/1938
Committee Assignments
RM MemberHouse Committee on Financial Services
Co-ChairBipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease
ChairmanOut of Iraq Caucus
Co-ChairNo War With Iran Caucus
FC MemberHouse Caucus for Congressional World-Bank Dialogue
Co-ChairCongressional Caribbean Caucus
FC MemberGlobal AIDS Emergency Task Force
FC MemberOut of Afghanistan Caucus
FC MemberAnti-Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Caucus
FC MemberSudan and South Sudan Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Full Employment Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Anti-Bullying Caucus
FC MemberHouse Trade Working Group [HTWG]
FC MemberCongressional Coastal Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Creative Rights Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Italian American Caucus
FC MemberU.S.-China Working Group
FC MemberCongressional JOBS NOW! Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Automotive Caucus
FC MemberCalifornia Democratic Congressional Delegation
FC MemberHouse Aerospace Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Social Work Caucus
FC MemberCongressional HIV/AIDS Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Medicare for All Caucus
FC MemberArthritis Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Heart and Stroke Coalition
FC MemberCongressional Caucus for Women's Issues (House)
FC MemberCongressional Native American Caucus
FC MemberTom Lantos Human Rights Commission
FC MemberCongressional Black Caucus
FC MemberCoalition for Autism Research and Education (CARE)
FC MemberCongressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)
FC MemberCongressional Progressive Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
FC MemberCongressional Diabetes Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ+) Equality Caucus
Counties Representing
Los Angeles

Bio

About Maxine Congresswoman Maxine Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor.

Elected in November 2022 to her sixteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives with more than 70 percent of the vote in the 43rd Congressional District of California, Congresswoman Waters represents a large part of South Los Angeles including the communities of Westchester, Playa Del Rey, and Watts and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County comprised of Lennox, West Athens, West Carson, Harbor Gateway and El Camino Village. The 43rd District also includes the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita and Torrance.

Congresswoman Waters made history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. An integral member of Congressional Democratic Leadership, Congresswoman Waters serves as a member of the Steering & Policy Committee and is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and member and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Prior to her election to the House of Representatives in 1990, Congresswoman Waters had already attracted national attention for her no-nonsense, no-holds-barred style of politics. During 14 years in the California State Assembly, she rose to the powerful position of Democratic Caucus Chair. She was responsible for some of the boldest legislation California has ever seen- the largest divestment of state pension funds from South Africa; landmark affirmative action legislation; the nation's first statewide Child Abuse Prevention Training Program; the prohibition of police strip searches for nonviolent misdemeanors; and the introduction of the nation's first plant closure law.

As a national Democratic Party leader, Congresswoman Waters has long been highly visible in Democratic Party politics and has served on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since 1980. She was a key leader in five presidential campaigns- Sen. Edward Kennedy (1980), Rev. Jesse Jackson (1984 & 1988), and President Bill Clinton (1992 & 1996). In 2001, she was instrumental in the DNC's creation of the National Development and Voting Rights Institute and the appointment of Mayor Maynard Jackson as its chair.

Following the Los Angeles civil unrest in 1992, Congresswoman Waters faced the nation's media and public to interpret the hopelessness and despair in cities across America. Over the years, she has brought many government officials and policy makers to her South Central L.A. district to appeal for more resources. They included President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Secretaries of Housing & Urban Development Henry Cisneros and Andrew Cuomo, and Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve System. Following the unrest, she founded Community Build, the city's grassroots rebuilding project.

She is a co-founder of Black Women's Forum, a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 African American women in the Los Angeles area. In the mid-80s, she also founded Project Build, working with young people in Los Angeles housing developments on job training and placement.

Congresswoman Waters is the founding member and former Chair of the 'Out of Iraq' Congressional Caucus. Formed in June 2005, the 'Out of Iraq' Congressional Caucus was established to bring to the Congress an on-going debate about the war in Iraq and the Administration's justifications for the decision to go to war, to urge the return of US service members to their families as soon as possible.

She is lauded by African American entrepreneurs for her work to expand contracting and procurement opportunities and to strengthen businesses. Long active in the women's movement, Rep. Waters has given encouragement and financial support to women seeking public office. Many young people, including those in the hip-hop music community, praise her for her support and understanding of young people and their efforts at self-expression. One testament to her work is the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, a multimillion dollar campus providing education and employment opportunities to residents of the Watts area.

Personal Background Maxine Waters was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the fifth of 13 children reared by a single mother. She began working at age 13 in factories and segregated restaurants. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked in garment factories and at the telephone company. She attended California State University at Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She began her career in public service as a teacher and a volunteer coordinator in the Head Start program.

She is married to Sidney Williams, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. She is the mother of two adult children, Edward and Karen, and has two grandchildren.