NASSAU, Bahamas — U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Chairperson of the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Hon. Philip Davis at the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday, April 25.
After exchanging gifts, Prime Minister Davis and Congresswoman Waters “discussed matters relative to the relationship between The Bahamas and the United States of America, including the financial sector and crypto space, tourism as the heartbeat of The Bahamas’ economy, climate change and carbon markets, and gun reforms that can reduce gun violence in both countries,” according to information that accompanied a collage of photos released by the Office of the Prime Minister on its Facebook page.
The information added: “Joining Prime Minister Davis was Hon. Alfred Sears, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service; His Excellency Wendall Jones, Ambassador of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United States, Columbia and Malaysia; David Davis, Permanent Secretary; Creswell Sturrup, Permanent Secretary; Rhoda Jackson, Foreign Affairs Director General; Amber Stubbs, Foreign Service Officer.
“Joining Rep. Waters were Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Member of Congress; Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Member of Congress; Rep. Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), Member of Congress; Rep. Ed Perlmutter, (D-CO), Member of Congress; and Usha Pitts, Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy Nassau.”
Congresswoman Waters, of course, has been a frequent visitor to The Bahamas, ever since her husband, Sidney Williams, was U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas from 1994 – 1998, during the administration of President Bill Clinton.
She and former Ambassador Williams have been very close personal friends of Sir Franklyn Wilson, Chairman of Sunshine Holdings Limited (SHL), and his wife Sharon Lady Wilson, former President of the Bahamas Senate, from Ambassador Williams’ diplomatic tenure.
They are both huge fans of Junkanoo — the cultural parade staged annually on Bay Street in downtown Nassau on Boxing Day morning (December 26) and the morning of January 1, New Year’s Day.– and they have frequently spent Christmas holidays in Nassau as house guests of Sir Franklyn and Lady Sharon.
Considered by many to be one of the most powerful women today in American politics today, Congresswoman Waterss has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor.
Elected in November 2020 to her sixteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives with more than 70 percent of the vote in the 43rd Congressional District of California, Congresswoman Waters represents a large part of South Los Angeles.
According to information on her Congressional Office website, “Congresswoman Waters made history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. An integral member of Congressional Democratic Leadership, Congresswoman Waters serves as a member of the Steering & Policy Committee and is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and member and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.”
The website also notes that throughout “her more than 40 years of public service, Maxine Waters has been on the cutting edge, tackling difficult and often controversial issues.”
“She has combined her strong legislative and public policy acumen and high visibility in Democratic Party activities with an unusual ability to do grassroots organizing,” the website adds. “As a national Democratic Party leader, Congresswoman Waters has long been highly visible in Democratic Party politics and has served on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since 1980. She was a key leader in five presidential campaigns: Sen. Edward Kennedy (1980), Rev. Jesse Jackson (1984 & 1988), and President Bill Clinton (1992 & 1996). In 2001, she was instrumental in the DNC’s creation of the National Development and Voting Rights Institute and the appointment of Mayor Maynard Jackson as its chair.”
