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Maxine Waters

Date: TBA Time: TBA Place: TBA California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125

Maxine Waters

United States House of Representatives (107th Congress)
35th Congressional District - California

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 poor people. Elected in November 2000 to her sixth term in the House of Representatives, she also holds the position of Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic Party, is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services, and serves on the Committee on the Judiciary.

Throughout her 25 years of public service, Maxine Waters has been on the cutting edge, tackling difficult and often controversial issues. She has combined her strong legislative and public policy acumen and high visibility in Democratic Party activities with an unusual ability to do grassroots organizing.

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.

Maxine Waters also brought national spotlight to the allegations of CIA involvement in the Contra cocaine drug trafficking in South Central Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. She has called for redirecting the resources of the so-called "war on drugs" to prevention and treatment, and for repealing mandatory minimum sentencing laws for minor drug offenses.

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.