Latest news with #MaxineWaters
The Hill
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Stop blaming the enforcers — Congress must fix the law
I am not a right-wing zealot, nor a left-wing revolutionary — just an ordinary American with some views that lean right and others that lean left. But when I step back and examine the current state of immigration in the U.S., I can't help but feel a deep sense of frustration. Not at the Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents carrying out their duties, nor at the Americans protesting what they view as government overreach, and not at the administration for enforcing laws it campaigned on. My frustration lies squarely with Congress. Elected lawmakers take to cable news to denounce the actions of the executive branch while conveniently ignoring the fact that it is their own legislation being enforced. Immigration and Custom Enforcement and the Homeland Security Department are implementing laws Congress passed, many of them years ago. If the system feels cruel or outdated, the power to fix it does not lie with agents on the ground or even entirely with the president. It lies with Congress. Yet, rather than work toward legislative solutions, too many politicians choose public outrage and performative soundbites over meaningful reform. In one public moment, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) told a line of National Guard troops, 'If you shoot me, you better shoot straight.' That kind of rhetoric is not brave — it's disgraceful. These servicemembers are young Americans, fulfilling lawful orders. They are not the enemy. If the policies are unjust, then it is Congress that must act to change them, instead of scapegoating those tasked with enforcement. Most Americans support immigration. Millions can trace their family's roots back to Ellis Island or similar ports of entry. We value hard work and the idea that America is a land of opportunity. We also understand that the process of becoming a citizen should be fair, secure and efficient. A secure border is not at odds with compassion, it's a prerequisite for a system that works. We need to fix the system by making it easier for honest people to come here legally, while keeping out those who pose legitimate threats. That requires a process that is both streamlined and deeply secure. This begins with a modernized application portal, a single federal system where applicants can submit documents, track their progress and communicate with officials. AI-assisted verification, biometric checks and fraud detection should be built in to reduce delays and improve accuracy. Deep background checks must be standard. That includes U.S. criminal records, foreign intelligence cooperation and digital screening for red flags tied to extremism or violence. Rather than blanket bans, we need intelligent filters that protect our national security without closing the door to those who deserve entry. Applicants should also go through a conditional residency period — say, five years, during which they check in regularly, maintain a clean record, and complete civics and language education. Priority should be given to individuals who already contribute, long-term residents, essential workers, military members and those with U.S. citizen family ties. A fair, secure and transparent system reinforces the values that define this nation of immigrants. The goal is not to shut the door, but to open it wider for those who have earned a place, while keeping it closed to those who pose a real danger. If Americans want Immigration and Custom Enforcement and the Homeland Security Department to operate differently, that must start with legislation. Call your representatives. Demand clarity, fairness and compassion in the law — not just outrage in front of cameras. Immigration reform is complex, but vilifying law enforcement or opposing politicians won't solve it. It's time for lawmakers to stop deflecting blame and start doing what they were elected to do: fix the system, for good. Jacob Brooks is a U.S. Navy veteran with a master's degree in Information Science from Penn State. He writes about leadership, service and civic responsibility.
Arabian Post
13-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Tech Giants Weigh Launching Dollar-Pegged Coins
Major corporations Walmart and Amazon are understood to be mulling the launch of their own stablecoins as part of a broader trend among retailers and tech companies seeking to streamline payment systems and reduce transaction costs. With the U.S. Congress advancing the GENIUS Act—legislation to regulate stablecoin issuance—the moment now appears opportune for these private-sector experiments. Both Walmart and Amazon are reportedly evaluating the regulatory environment and potential use cases for proprietary stablecoins. Sources suggest these could be integrated with payment platforms, loyalty schemes and digital marketplaces. Such a move would allow these companies to bypass conventional card rails and intermediaries that currently levy high fees on merchants and slow settlement times. Walmart's ongoing fintech ambitions align with the exploration of stablecoin applications. The retailer has already lobbied for regulatory changes aimed at bringing greater competition into credit card networks, indicating a broader shift towards alternative payment mechanisms. Amazon, though in the preliminary assessment stage, is also understood to be considering whether a branded stablecoin might enhance the convenience of online transactions. ADVERTISEMENT The GENIUS Act currently under Senate review is central to this evolution. It delineates a framework for 'permitted payment stablecoin issuers' and mandates reserve requirements, redemption rules and federal oversight. While enabling banks, non-banks and subsidiaries to issue stablecoins, it permits notable flexibility across different sectors. Critics are already voicing concerns. Legislators such as Senator Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Maxine Waters caution against allowing large non-financial firms to enter the payments landscape, fearing an erosion of banking safeguards and potential intensified corporate dominance. Academic voices, including law professor Hilary Allen, warn that Big Tech's entry into finance could 'entrench corporate power' and compromise consumer data privacy. A key sticking point lies in a proposed amendment to prohibit non-financial corporations from issuing stablecoins unless they meet stringent criteria around financial stability, data protection and consumer welfare. This amendment would cover tech behemoths like Amazon, Meta and Apple. In contrast, proponents argue that allowing these companies in could foster innovation and enhance market competition. Merchant industries are lobbying hard for clarity. The Merchants Payments Coalition argues that a stablecoin framework could disrupt the dominance of established payment networks and deliver substantial cost savings. Stakeholders have highlighted how cross-border payments could benefit from low-cost, near-instant settlement, echoing the broader fintech industry's embrace of stablecoins as programmable rails for digital commerce. Opposition remains robust, however. Critics warn that unbridled stablecoin issuance by non-financial corporations could introduce systemic risks. The GENIUS Act's provisions are aimed at managing these risks through requirements for reserves, transparency, anti-money laundering compliance and state-federal coordination. Still, there is unease that enforcement mechanisms may not sufficiently address deep-seated concerns over financial stability and consumer safety. Proponents believe stablecoins could transform how commerce operates, by speeding up settlements, reducing fees and enabling more fluid integration across digital platforms. With adoption driven by both large merchants and smaller enterprises, the innovation rather than consolidation of money systems could mark a significant shift. Walmart and Amazon appear poised to test these boundaries. As the GENIUS Act moves closer to a Senate floor vote, the exact role that private-sector stablecoins will play remains uncertain. The decision by Congress to permit non-bank issuers is a strategic pivot, opening regulatory pathways that could redefine how money flows through the global payments ecosystem.
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
The week in whoppers: Rep. Maxine Waters shuts her eyes to LA violence, Jimmy Kimmel sees illegal migrant criminals as angels and more
Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions This denial: 'There was no violence' in LA in response to ICE raids. — Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Tuesday We say: Maybe Waters doesn't consider it 'violence' when rioters assault ICE agents, slash tires, burn vehicles, drop cement blocks and other objects on officers, lob Molotov cocktails, deface property, loot stores, hurl rocks, target law enforcement with fireworks, shut down roadways and more. Yes, much of it was caught on camera and shown on national TV, but how can you believe your own eyes when Maxine insists it's not so? This claim: 'People . . . the vast majority of whom have never done anything wrong, are being abducted [by ICE agents].' — Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, Tuesday We say: Please. Kimmel couldn't name a single person arrested by federal agents who's 'never done anything wrong.' Every illegal immigrant detained by ICE did at least one thing wrong by entering the United States illegally. And the 'vast majority' have done far worse, including: murder, child-molesting, drug-dealing, money-laundering, human-smuggling, burglary and more. This headline: We say: Could a headline be more misleading? Abrego Garcia was far from a 'wrongly deported Maryland man'; he was an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who is linked to MS-13, is now charged with human-smuggling and was alleged to have participated in a murder. Oh, and he was ordered deported, though not to his native country, where he was accidentally sent. This tweet: We say: Team Trump is ending the outrageous Biden-era loan-forgiveness plans and repayment freezes for student borrowers and insisting they pay back what they agreed to. That's 'reckless'? Truth is, Warren's demand that taxpayers — ones who never got student loans for college or who've repaid them diligently, or never went to college — subsidize these borrowers is the true 'blow to hardworking Americans and our economy.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
Fox News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Maxine Waters' History of Fanning Flames
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here's what's happening… Eighteen-term Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters resurfaced in the news after several run-ins with federal authorities during the ongoing illegal immigration riots in California, just as her House tenure began amid prior Angeleno unrest. In 1992, as she was finishing her first term in Congress, the not-guilty verdict against White LAPD officers seen beating a Black motorist named Rodney King sparked a similar conflagration in Los Angeles, and Waters was in the midst of it then as well. The riots greatly affected her South Los Angeles district, and Waters was quoted at the time as appearing to downplay the violence not as a "riot" but as "just a bunch of crazy people who went out and did bad things for no reason."…READ MORE RIFT HITS RATINGS: Musk's favorability among Republicans drops 16 points after Trump feud SUPPORT SLIPS AWAY: Public opinion turns against Trump-backed tax and spending bill, new survey finds 'NEXT-GENERATION': Trump's 'next-generation' missile defense plan gains momentum as US faces foreign threats WIN FOR TRUMP: Appeals court grants Trump short-term win over Boasberg in immigration ruling 'ABSOLUTE EVIL': Hamas attack on aid workers leaves eight dead as org fears some were 'taken hostage' WINS BIG: Israel's Netanyahu holds on to power, attempt to dissolve government falls short RED ALERT: Taiwan ramps up Coast Guard and military readiness in face of Beijing's 'gray zone' warfare SPENDING SHOWDOWN: GOP lawmakers prepare to slash $9.1 billion from USAID, NPR and PBS in rare vote POWER OF THE PURSE: Fate of Trump's $9.4 billion spending cut package hangs on House GOP moderates TRUMP TEAM TARGETED: Democrat congresswoman draws boos over 'shameful' sexism remark in committee hearing with Treasury Secretary TAX BOMB TICKING: Pence group warns Senate not to rubber-stamp Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' 'WIN THE ARGUMENT': Fetterman issues 'DO' and 'DO NOT' list, doubling down on anti-violence message after calling out LA 'anarchy' TRIMMING THE FAT: Republican senators roll out DOGE budget proposals for Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' TRACK RECORD LOOMS: Mayor Karen Bass' handling of LA riots adds to decades of political baggage 'GET THE HELL OUT': California Dem tells Hegseth he's an 'embarrassment' to the US, should 'get the hell out' of the DOD LAW ENFORCED: National Guard authorized to detain ICE attackers, DHS says Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on
Fox News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
'I call it a rebellion': Maxine Waters' history of enflaming crowds, from Rodney King to today
Eighteen-term Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters resurfaced in the news after several run-ins with federal authorities during the ongoing illegal immigration riots in California, just as her House tenure began amid prior Angeleno unrest. In 1992, as she was finishing her first term in Congress, the not-guilty verdict against White LAPD officers seen beating a Black motorist named Rodney King sparked a similar conflagration in Los Angeles, and Waters was in the midst of it then as well. The riots greatly affected her South Los Angeles district, and Waters was quoted at the time as appearing to downplay the violence not as a "riot" but as "just a bunch of crazy people who went out and did bad things for no reason." "I maintain it was somewhat understandable, if not acceptable. So I call it a rebellion," she said, according to the Los Angeles Times. Waters had joined the Rev. Jesse Jackson in trying to convince the Justice Department to file civil rights charges against the acquitted officers, blaming the rioting on Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief Daryl Gates and President George H.W. Bush, according to famed journalist Robert Novak. When Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., attempted to have Waters expelled from Congress in 2021 for "inciting violence and terrorism," the Democrat claimed some of her past remarks were taken out of context. "I am not worried that they're going to continue to distort what I say," she told The Grio after Greene led her resolution with Waters' Rodney King-era statements. Greene said Waters violated House Rule 23's clause regarding conduct by members "at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House." At a 2007 anti-war protest, Waters declared she was "not afraid of George Bush" and also pledged to "get rid of" then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. She later drew the ire of Greene and other Republicans when she told an LGBTQ gala, "I will go and take out Trump tonight." Defenders said she was speaking rhetorically and politically and not threatening the mogul. Later in Trump's first administration, Waters was filmed on a California street corner shouting at supportive demonstrators and instructing them to be disruptive toward Trump allies. "If you see anybody … in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out, and you create a crowd, and you push back on them. And you tell them that they are not welcome." She later said she did not physically threaten Trump supporters, though then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had earlier been run out of a Lexington, Va., restaurant and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was accosted at a Washington, D.C., eatery. In April 2021, Waters rallied in Brooklyn Center, Minn., while ex-Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was on trial for the murder of George Floyd. Waters was recorded telling protesters to "stay" in the street and warned that if the jury delivered a not-guilty verdict, "We cannot go away … we've got to get more confrontational." The comments caught the attention of trial Judge Peter Cahill, suggesting the comments could lead to a defense appeal and also disrespected the judicial branch. Waters later pushed back on some characterizations, saying, "I am nonviolent. I talk about confronting the justice system. … I'm talking about speaking up." In February, Waters appeared in front of the Department of Education building in Washington along with other House Democrats. A security guard was confronted as lawmakers tried to gain entry to voice concerns about Secretary Linda McMahon's downsizing plans. This week, while riots again raged in Los Angeles, Waters hurried toward a group of National Guardsmen entering the plywood-covered door of the Metropolitan Detention Center. "I just came to use my congressional authority to check on David Huerta," she said, referring to the SEIU union leader arrested during an immigration raid. A Guardsman told Waters to contact "public affairs" and slammed the door in her face. She was later seen asking armed Guardsmen if they planned to shoot her, why they were there and that the conflict was President Donald Trump's fault. Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital after that incident that instead of "taunting" Guardsmen, Waters should have been trying to assuage the unrest. While some of her recent Republican challengers, like Joe Collins and Omar Navarro, have received hefty donations from around the country due to her polarizing comments, the 86-year-old has been re-elected with typically 70% of the vote. Fox News Digital reached out to Waters for comment but did not immediately hear back.
