U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters answered questions and provided updates on her work in Washington D.C. at an address to the El Camino College community Thursday, March 20.
Waters, who represents California’s 43rd Congressional District, is on a speaking tour of community colleges located in the district, including ECC, Compton College and Los Angeles Southwest College.
“I believe that students have a role in deciding the direction of this country. They have a voice,” Waters said. “And they must have information, and they must be included, and they must understand what is going on.”
Waters expressed concerns regarding the executive orders carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration, which aim to dismantle the Department of Education, the Treasury Department, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“You have never heard about executive orders being used this way,” Waters said.
She highlighted federal programs that assist the homeless population, especially among local community colleges, sharing how Compton College acquired funds to build housing units for homeless students.
“I’m hopeful that every college and every university in the country will have places for people who have no homes … so that we can get rid of homelessness particularly as it relates to education,” Waters said.
She expressed the importance of the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as her fears around Trump’s threats to amend birthright citizenship, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.
“We’ve got to be ready to be educated, to know what’s going on, to be able to protest,” Waters said.
Participants came up to microphones to ask questions on a variety of issues, many of which Waters answered with a central call to action.
“We need people voting to make us not only strong, but in power, with the numbers that we need in order to pass our bills and resolutions,” Waters said.
Political science major Joanna Martinez, 20, was inspired to become more involved with the news and stay informed on current events.
“I need to be well aware of the problems and what I can do to make things better for my community,” Martinez said.
Environmental studies and political science major Rylee Goldfarb, 19, was excited to meet Waters in real life and was inspired by what she took from Waters’ call to action.
“Meeting with your local representatives, doing what you can to speak out and protest, peacefully of course, and to make sure your voice is heard in any way possible,” Goldfarb said.
Not all of the questions Waters answered were serious, saying some of her favorite music includes “Not Like Us,” which erupted the crowd in applause.
“Kendrick Lamar killed it,” Waters said.
Waters left Haag Recital Hall with a message to students and community members that their voices are being heard, their concerns are valid, and their strength is in their vote.
“You are being educated to run the world. You are being educated to run this country,” Waters said. “You are being educated to be the kind of citizens that ensure that everybody possible can have a good quality of life.”
