Quotes from Maxine Waters

Russia is not our friend.

I'm not running for anything but my own seat.

I think the Democrats' role is to be vocal.

I want to be the kind of elected official who not only pays attention but who acts on behalf of people - just average people. Fancy lobbyists get to tell their story, but the average person doesn't.

Most African-Americans really do believe that we are voting for our better interest in voting for Democrats.

When I first experienced the millennial response to me, I had come out of a classified briefing, and I told the group of media individuals who were there that I didn't think James Comey had any credibility, and I threw up my hands and walked away - that went viral.

I have been an organizer and then activist and a legislator, all of that. But then there's this big gap after I advanced in Congress and ended up as the ranking member of financial services committee. It took me into the financial services issues and Wall Street and Dodd Frank. And it took me away from the things that I did years ago.

I saw the real difference between politicians who supported programs like Head Start and those who didn't. I started getting really excited about politics.

I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion.

Guess what this liberal would be all about? This liberal will be about socializing...uh, um...Would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your companies.

Some people see me as someone who makes other people look bad... I often get a feeling most people don't know who I am, or have a clue, and I live with that. I don't try to prove anything by talking.

There's a history of enslaved African-Americans having to make their slave masters comfortable. This business of what we call skinning and grinning - that is something African-Americans are very much cognizant of.

The women's movement was just coming into being, and I got involved with Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug and all these great women. We then got involved with Carter, who was running for president, and we created the first International Women's Conference or the National Women's Conference for Carter.

Why is it that Michael Flynn, who evidently has a great relationship with Putin, who has received payments for so-called speeches and who's spent a lot of time in Russia and was accused of talking about sanctions, he lied about it, and he got caught?

I'd like to say to women everywhere: don't allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people, to intimidate you or scare you.

We do not have a crisis at Freddie Mac, and particularly Fannie Mae, under the outstanding leadership of Frank Raines.

I think Hillary and Bill are really liberals at heart. I think that, in addition to being liberals, they are very practical. They have made some decisions about what it takes to win.

I don't have any presidential aspirations. If the millennials want me to do it, I'd do it, though.

We use language that has been designed to keep order, and to keep people in line.

This is a tough game. You can't be intimidated. You can't be frightened. And as far as I'm concerned, the Tea Party can go straight to hell.

Donald Trump has defined himself very well, not only in the primary election where he was absolutely disrespectful to his colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle and for Fiorina, who he basically said, 'Who would vote for you? Look at her face.'

Be who you are, do what you do and let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country.

I think that people should do what their heart and soul tells them to do.

My spirit tells me I cannot be silent.