Maxine Waters, Representative for California's 43rd Congressional District

Waters is the representative for California’s 43^rd congressional district (view map) and is a Democrat. She has served since Jan 3, 2013. Waters is next up for reelection in 2022 and serves until Jan 3, 2023.

She was previously the representative for California’s 35^th congressional district as a Democrat from 1993 to 2012; and the representative for California’s 29^th congressional district as a Democrat from 1991 to 1992.

Alleged misconduct & resolution

In 2009 Waters was investigated for a conflict of interest with respect to meetings with a bank in which she had a financial interest. The House Committee on Ethics concluded that Representative Waters' chief of staff was at fault for creating the appearance of conflict, but Waters was not.

Jul. 24, 2009	House Office of Congressional Ethics recommended that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct further review the allegations
Sep. 25, 2012	House Committee on Ethics concluded that Representative Waters' chief of staff was at fault for creating the appearance of conflict, but Waters was not

Analysis

Legislative Metrics

Read our 2020 Report Card for Waters.

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Waters is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the House of Representatives positioned according to our ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).

The chart is based on the bills Waters has sponsored and cosponsored from Jan 3, 2017 to Feb 26, 2021. See full analysis methodology.

Ratings from Advocacy Organizations

Human Rights Campaign: 100% Planned Parenthood Action Fund: 100% League of Conservation Voters: 91% The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: B United States Chamber of Commerce: 55% The Club for Growth: 11%

Enacted Legislation

Waters was the primary sponsor of 6 bills that were enacted:

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Does 6 not sound like a lot? Very few bills are ever enacted — most legislators sponsor only a handful that are signed into law. But there are other legislative activities that we don’t track that are also important, including offering amendments, committee work and oversight of the other branches, and constituent services.

We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110^th Congress).

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

Waters sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Finance and Financial Sector (29%) Housing and Community Development (22%) Health (17%) Education (9%) Armed Forces and National Security (6%) International Affairs (6%) Crime and Law Enforcement (6%) Government Operations and Politics (4%)

Recent Bills

Some of Waters’s most recently sponsored bills include...

View All » | View Cosponsors »

Voting Record

Key Votes

Waters voted Nay

H.R. 2048: Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015

Passed 338/88 on May 13, 2015.

The USA Freedom Act (H.R. 2048, Pub.L. 114–23) is a U.S. law enacted on June 2, 2015 that restored in modified form several provisions of ...

Waters voted Nay

H.R. 360: Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2015

Passed 297/98 on Mar 23, 2015.

Waters voted Nay

H.R. 83 (113th): Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015

Passed 219/206 on Dec 11, 2014.

This bill became the vehicle for passage of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 [pdf], which was approved by the House on December ...

Waters voted Aye

H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015

Passed 319/108 on Sep 17, 2014.

Waters voted No

H.R. 1249 (112th): Leahy-Smith America Invents Act

Passed 304/117 on Jun 23, 2011.

The Leahy–Smith America Invents Act (AIA) is a United States federal statute that was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Barack ...

Waters voted Nay

H.Res. 34 (111th): Recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States’ strong support for ...

Passed 390/5 on Jan 9, 2009.

Waters voted No

H.Res. 801 (110th): Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3688) to implement the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.

Passed 349/55 on Nov 7, 2007.

Waters voted Nay

H.Res. 738 (110th): Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the Government of Syria’s continued interference in the ...

Passed 375/5 on Oct 15, 2007.

Waters voted Nay

H.Res. 600 (110th): Providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules.

Passed 228/196 on Aug 3, 2007.

Waters voted Nay

H.R. 1830 (110th): To extend the authorities of the Andean Trade Preference Act until February 29, 2008.

Passed 365/59 on Jun 27, 2007.

Missed Votes

From Jan 1991 to Feb 2021, Waters missed 1,366 of 19,091 roll call votes, which is 7.2%. This is much worse than the median of 2.0% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses and major life events.

Show the numbers...

Time Period	Votes Eligible	Missed Votes	Percent	Percentile
1991 Jan-Mar	62	6	9.7%	88^th
1991 Apr-Jun	139	10	7.2%	83^rd
1991 Jul-Sep	81	9	11.1%	92^nd
1991 Oct-Nov	162	28	17.3%	96^th
1992 Jan-Mar	66	6	9.1%	79^th
1992 Apr-Jun	185	37	20.0%	96^th
1992 Jul-Sep	196	16	8.2%	92^nd
1992 Oct-Oct	41	3	7.3%	67^th
1993 Jan-Mar	127	6	4.7%	72^nd
1993 Apr-Jun	190	11	5.8%	59^th
1993 Jul-Sep	164	2	1.2%	49^th
1993 Oct-Nov	134	9	6.7%	95^th
1994 Jan-Mar	95	2	2.1%	37^th
1994 Apr-Jun	219	12	5.5%	76^th
1994 Jul-Sep	142	6	4.2%	57^th
1994 Oct-Nov	51	3	5.9%	81^st
1995 Jan-Mar	279	10	3.6%	83^rd
1995 Apr-Jun	189	14	7.4%	85^th
1995 Jul-Sep	232	9	3.9%	83^rd
1995 Oct-Dec	185	5	2.7%	61^st
1996 Jan-Mar	110	35	31.8%	96^th
1996 Apr-Jun	182	9	4.9%	82^nd
1996 Jul-Sep	163	12	7.4%	89^th
1997 Jan-Mar	71	2	2.8%	47^th
1997 Apr-Jun	174	5	2.9%	63^rd
1997 Jul-Sep	232	10	4.3%	76^th
1997 Oct-Nov	163	5	3.1%	69^th
1998 Jan-Mar	89	28	31.5%	98^th
1998 Apr-Jun	185	14	7.6%	87^th
1998 Jul-Sep	199	11	5.5%	77^th
1998 Oct-Dec	74	5	6.8%	84^th
1999 Jan-Mar	77	1	1.3%	30^th
1999 Apr-Jun	184	17	9.2%	91^st
1999 Jul-Sep	204	5	2.5%	70^th
1999 Oct-Nov	146	9	6.2%	80^th
2000 Jan-Mar	95	13	13.7%	85^th
2000 Apr-Jun	277	7	2.5%	56^th
2000 Jul-Sep	130	10	7.7%	88^th
2000 Oct-Dec	101	23	22.8%	91^st
2001 Jan-Mar	75	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Apr-Jun	135	11	8.1%	92^nd
2001 Jul-Sep	149	14	9.4%	90^th
2001 Oct-Dec	153	9	5.9%	83^rd
2002 Jan-Mar	79	19	24.1%	97^th
2002 Apr-Jun	203	7	3.4%	68^th
2002 Jul-Sep	141	15	10.6%	87^th
2002 Oct-Nov	61	8	13.1%	92^nd
2003 Jan-Mar	94	9	9.6%	96^th
2003 Apr-Jun	239	10	4.2%	73^rd
2003 Jul-Sep	193	12	6.2%	87^th
2003 Oct-Dec	151	8	5.3%	65^th
2004 Jan-Mar	104	14	13.5%	87^th
2004 Apr-Jun	221	14	6.3%	85^th
2004 Jul-Sep	161	7	4.3%	53^rd
2004 Oct-Dec	58	13	22.4%	96^th
2005 Jan-Mar	90	12	13.3%	95^th
2005 Apr-Jun	272	26	9.6%	92^nd
2005 Jul-Sep	146	7	4.8%	79^th
2005 Oct-Dec	163	23	14.1%	95^th
2006 Jan-Mar	81	4	4.9%	76^th
2006 Apr-Jun	276	27	9.8%	96^th
2006 Jul-Sep	159	5	3.1%	63^rd
2006 Nov-Dec	27	3	11.1%	77^th
2007 Jan-Mar	213	12	5.6%	85^th
2007 Apr-Jun	393	18	4.6%	85^th
2007 Jul-Sep	317	26	8.2%	94^th
2007 Oct-Dec	263	14	5.3%	71^st
2008 Jan-Mar	149	11	7.4%	78^th
2008 Apr-Jun	321	22	6.9%	81^st
2008 Jul-Sep	205	21	10.2%	93^rd
2008 Oct-Dec	15	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Jan-Mar	174	5	2.9%	60^th
2009 Apr-Jun	303	23	7.6%	91^st
2009 Jul-Sep	268	20	7.5%	90^th
2009 Oct-Dec	246	14	5.7%	80^th
2010 Jan-Mar	195	30	15.4%	96^th
2010 Apr-Jun	219	31	14.2%	93^rd
2010 Jul-Sep	151	10	6.6%	84^th
2010 Nov-Dec	99	24	24.2%	94^th
2011 Jan-Mar	212	10	4.7%	88^th
2011 Apr-Jun	281	21	7.5%	94^th
2011 Jul-Sep	247	43	17.4%	99^th
2011 Oct-Dec	208	4	1.9%	51^st
2012 Jan-Mar	151	5	3.3%	68^th
2012 Apr-Jun	299	28	9.4%	88^th
2012 Jul-Sep	152	8	5.3%	83^rd
2012 Nov-Dec	51	8	15.7%	94^th
2013 Jan-Jan	5	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Mar	89	5	5.6%	76^th
2013 Apr-Jun	215	7	3.3%	64^th
2013 Jul-Sep	200	10	5.0%	82^nd
2013 Oct-Dec	137	12	8.8%	88^th
2014 Jan-Mar	148	3	2.0%	50^th
2014 Apr-Jun	219	40	18.3%	96^th
2014 Jul-Sep	147	5	3.4%	75^th
2014 Nov-Dec	49	1	2.0%	54^th
2015 Jan-Mar	130	17	13.1%	93^rd
2015 Apr-Jun	244	9	3.7%	80^th
2015 Jul-Sep	139	6	4.3%	78^th
2015 Oct-Dec	177	2	1.1%	50^th
2016 Jan-Mar	137	5	3.6%	54^th
2016 Apr-Jun	204	49	24.0%	98^th
2016 Jul-Sep	232	9	3.9%	82^nd
2016 Nov-Dec	48	3	6.2%	86^th
2017 Jan-Mar	208	9	4.3%	80^th
2017 Apr-Jun	136	7	5.1%	84^th
2017 Jul-Sep	199	3	1.5%	64^th
2017 Oct-Dec	167	6	3.6%	73^rd
2018 Jan-Mar	129	7	5.4%	79^th
2018 Apr-Jun	184	15	8.2%	87^th
2018 Jul-Sep	102	3	2.9%	72^nd
2018 Nov-Dec	85	4	4.7%	74^th
2019 Jan-Mar	136	1	0.7%	34^th
2019 Apr-Jun	294	1	0.3%	21^st
2019 Jul-Sep	125	1	0.8%	55^th
2019 Oct-Dec	146	1	0.7%	28^th
2020 Jan-Mar	102	13	12.7%	91^st
2020 Apr-Jun	31	0	0.0%	0^th
2020 Jul-Sep	80	1	1.2%	53^rd
2020 Oct-Dec	40	0	0.0%	0^th
2021 Jan-Feb	49	1	2.0%	59^th

Primary Sources

The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:

unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
GPO Member Guide for the photo
GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills

Rep. Maxine Waters

Links

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Alleged misconduct & resolution

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Analysis

Legislative Metrics

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Ratings from Advocacy Organizations

Enacted Legislation

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

Recent Bills

Voting Record

Key Votes

Waters voted Nay

Waters voted Nay

Waters voted Nay

Waters voted Aye

Waters voted No

Waters voted Nay

Waters voted No

Waters voted Nay

Waters voted Nay

Waters voted Nay

Missed Votes

Primary Sources