California
MW

Maxine Waters

D

U.S. Representative · California

Last updated

May 11, 2026

Next election

November 2026

Votes cast

966

On record

Bills sponsored

0

Including co-sponsored

Ledger entries

966

All actions

Policy pillars — derived from activity record

Electoral integrity

17 actions

Waters opposes electoral integrity measures that impose citizenship documentation requirements and tracking mechanisms, viewing them as voter suppression tools that disproportionately burden eligible citizens rather than genuine safeguards.

Criminal justice

51 actions

Waters demonstrates a mixed criminal justice ideology, supporting federal drug enforcement, human trafficking prevention, and officer safety initiatives while opposing measures that expand law enforcement discretion, increase penalties for vulnerable populations, and lower the threshold for trying juveniles as adults.

Fiscal policy

89 actions

Waters demonstrates opposition to fiscal policies that would constrain federal spending authority or expand executive power to reduce appropriations, while supporting government funding for social programs and disaster relief.

Healthcare

36 actions

Waters demonstrates a strong pro-healthcare ideology focused on expanding access to underserved populations, strengthening transparency and cost controls in insurance and Medicare systems, and advancing research and monitoring for occupational and environmental health risks across vulnerable groups including veterans, firefighters, and rural communities.

Education

27 actions

Waters demonstrates strong support for expanding educational access and affordability, particularly for underserved populations including veterans, rural communities, and student borrowers, while opposing measures that would restrict debt relief or inject ideological curriculum into schools.

Economy and labor

48 actions

Waters demonstrates a consistent commitment to expanding economic opportunity for small businesses and underrepresented entrepreneurs while favoring targeted trade and agricultural policies that protect domestic workers and communities.

Environment and energy

165 actions

Waters demonstrates strong support for environmental protection through consistent backing of conservation measures, ecosystem restoration, pollution prevention, and wildlife safeguards, while opposing efforts to weaken environmental regulations or expedite fossil fuel infrastructure development.

Immigration

55 actions

Waters consistently opposes restrictive immigration enforcement measures and deportation expansions while supporting pathways to legal status and family reunification, reflecting a progressive stance that prioritizes immigrant protections over border restriction policies.

National security and foreign policy

192 actions

Waters demonstrates a pro-national security stance focused on countering adversarial state actors like Iran and China through sanctions, financial transparency measures, and intelligence sharing while prioritizing humanitarian considerations and multilateral approaches over unilateral military or enforcement mechanisms.

Civil rights and liberties

46 actions

Waters demonstrates a mixed civil rights record, strongly supporting protections against discrimination and violence targeting specific groups while inconsistently opposing measures that restrict individual liberties or legislative prerogatives, suggesting her voting pattern reflects competing priorities between advancing group-based civil rights protections and preserving institutional or individual freedoms.

Social policy

24 actions

Waters demonstrates strong support for expansive social safety net policies, consistently backing measures that extend government benefits and protections to vulnerable populations including veterans, homeless individuals, foster youth, Native American families, and children in institutional care.

Technology and data

34 actions

Waters demonstrates strong support for technology and data policy that prioritizes consumer protection, federal oversight, and infrastructure development while opposing financial innovation in digital assets that lacks robust regulatory guardrails.

Civil liberties and government power

7 actions

Waters's voting record on civil liberties reflects competing priorities rather than a coherent ideological framework, showing support for privacy protections against corporate disclosure while resisting constraints on government power and judicial authority.

Government accountability and transparency

142 actions

Waters supports transparency measures that create public records and require document disclosure while opposing various forms of legislative oversight and accountability mechanisms that would constrain executive or administrative authority.

Infrastructure and public investment

28 actions

Waters consistently supports direct federal investment and public funding mechanisms across diverse infrastructure sectors including transportation, utilities, broadband, water systems, and green energy, reflecting a commitment to leveraging government resources to modernize public assets and expand access to essential services.

Activity ledger — most recent first

Dec 18, 2025

Waters introduced a resolution recognizing the 90th anniversary of the National Council of Negro Women.

On the record

Sep 2, 2025

Waters spoke in the House for one minute in support of Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve Board of Governors member, stating that an attempt to force her retirement or resignation was part of a presidential effort to take control of the Federal Reserve and that such control would lead to inflation if the President pushed for lower interest rates.

On the record

May 8, 2025

Waters spoke for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader to discuss the Trump administration's actions regarding Federal agencies, government employees, constitutional protections, trade policies, and cryptocurrency regulation.

On the record

Dec 18, 2024

Beagle Brigade Act of 2023 — This bill advances government transparency by requiring the Department of Agriculture to report to Congress on threats to agriculture and natural resources.

Government accountability and transparencyEthics and financial disclosure↗ Source
Not voting

Dec 18, 2024

DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act of 2024 — This bill supports national security by authorizing the Department of Homeland Security to develop better technology for detecting dangerous drugs at borders and ports of entry.

National security and foreign policyDefense spending↗ Source
Voted yes

Dec 18, 2024

Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act — This bill advances Native American sovereignty and self-determination by transferring land to tribal control, supporting the civil right of indigenous peoples to govern their own territories.

Civil rights and libertiesVoting rights↗ Source
Voted yes

Dec 17, 2024

Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023 — This bill supports Holocaust education programs by extending federal authorization and funding for educational initiatives through 2030.

EducationK-12 funding and standards↗ Source
Voted yes

Dec 17, 2024

Midnight Rules Relief Act — This bill makes it easier for Congress to overturn multiple regulations at once during presidential transitions, which could reduce executive branch accountability by allowing rapid reversal of rules without individual scrutiny.

Government accountability and transparencyEthics and financial disclosure↗ Source
Voted no

Dec 11, 2024

Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 — This bill extends and updates federal programs that protect endangered wildlife species and their habitats through conservation funding and partnerships.

Environment and energyClimate legislation↗ Source
Voted no

Dec 11, 2024

Increasing Baseline Updates Act — This bill would advance government transparency by requiring the Congressional Budget Office to publish more frequent budget projections and disclose the economic data behind their calculations.

Government accountability and transparencyEthics and financial disclosure↗ Source
Voted yes

Dec 10, 2024

SHIELD Against CCP Act — This bill strengthens U.S. national security by establishing a coordinated effort within the Department of Homeland Security to identify and counter security threats posed by China across multiple critical areas including terrorism, cyber attacks, and border protection.

National security and foreign policyDefense spending↗ Source
Voted yes

Mar 21, 2024

Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act of 2023 — This bill strengthens national security by reducing Chinese government influence over U.S. shipping infrastructure and giving federal authorities more power to prevent foreign manipulation of maritime commerce.

National security and foreign policyDefense spending↗ Source
Voted yes

Mar 21, 2024

Expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy. — This bill opposes a carbon tax as economically harmful, taking a stance against a potential revenue-raising or economy-regulating tax policy.

Fiscal policyFederal and state taxation↗ Source
Voted no

Mar 21, 2024

Denouncing the harmful, anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration, and for other purposes. — This bill opposes environmental regulations on energy production and federal lands while promoting increased domestic fossil fuel development.

Environment and energyClimate legislation↗ Source
Voted no

Mar 20, 2024

Restoring American Energy Dominance Act — This bill would block new environmental protections and climate provisions for oil and gas leasing on public lands, favoring fossil fuel extraction over energy transition goals.

Environment and energyClimate legislation↗ Source
Voted no

Mar 20, 2024

Restoring American Energy Dominance Act — This bill would block new environmental protections and climate provisions for oil and gas leasing on public lands, favoring fossil fuel extraction over energy transition goals.

Environment and energyClimate legislation↗ Source
Voted yes

Mar 20, 2024

Protecting American Energy Production Act — This bill would protect fossil fuel extraction through fracking by preventing the President from restricting it without Congress approval and prioritizing state over federal environmental regulation.

Environment and energyClimate legislation↗ Source
Voted no

Mar 20, 2024

Protecting American Energy Production Act — This bill would protect fossil fuel extraction through fracking by preventing the President from restricting it without Congress approval and prioritizing state over federal environmental regulation.

Environment and energyClimate legislation↗ Source
Voted yes

Mar 19, 2024

Condemning the illegal abduction and forcible transfer of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. — This bill strengthens the U.S. position on a major foreign conflict by formally condemning Russian actions against Ukrainian children and supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

National security and foreign policyDefense spending↗ Source
Voted yes

Mar 19, 2024

Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act — This bill uses sanctions to protect the stability and democracy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, advancing U.S. foreign policy interests in maintaining peace in a strategically important region.

National security and foreign policyDefense spending↗ Source
Voted yes

Mar 13, 2024

Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — This bill would restrict or ban applications controlled by foreign adversaries like China from operating in the United States to protect national security and prevent foreign surveillance of Americans.

National security and foreign policyDefense spending↗ Source
Voted yes

Feb 29, 2024

Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2024 — This bill extends federal funding and authorization for airport infrastructure programs and aviation services, supporting continued public investment in transportation infrastructure.

Infrastructure and public investmentTransportation and roads↗ Source
Voted yes

Feb 29, 2024

Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2024 — This bill authorizes federal spending to keep government operating and funds student aid programs, representing a decision to maintain current spending levels rather than make cuts or increases.

Fiscal policyFederal and state taxation↗ Source
Voted yes

See an error or want to dispute an entry?

Submit a correction →