Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), will be our guest speaker at the Exchequer Club meeting on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.  The meeting will be held at the J.W. Marriott, Salons DE, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

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 2024 to her eighteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives with more than 75 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 Watts and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County comprised of Lennox, West Athens, Willowbrook, and El Camino Village. The 43rd District also includes the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Compton and Torrance.

Congresswoman Waters made history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. She 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, she spent 14 years in the California State Assembly, where she rose to the powerful position of Democratic Caucus Chair. She was responsible for some of the boldest legislation California has ever seen. 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.

As she confronts the issues such as poverty, economic development, equal justice under the law and other issues of concern to people of color, women, children, and poor people, Rep. Waters enjoys a broad cross section of support from diverse communities across the nation.

Throughout her career, Congresswoman Waters has been an advocate for international peace, justice, and human rights. Expanding access to health care services is another of Congresswoman Waters’ priorities. She spearheaded the development of the Minority AIDS Initiative in 1998 to address the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS among African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities. She is also the author of legislation to expand health services for patients with diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

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.

When twice impeached former President Donald Trump was elected, Congresswoman Waters became the leader of the resistance. Many young people learned what most of us knew about her for over the past 40 years – that Maxine Waters will always speak truth to power, will always stand up and fight for what is right, for justice and equality! As a result, she has earned the title of “Auntie Maxine.”