Rep. Maxine Waters on stablecoin sticking point: "Your central bank has got to be involved"

Who?Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) — Ranking Member, House Financial Services Committee Ask a Pol asked:Any update on your crypto bill with Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry (R-NC)?Key Waters:“We gotta do something before the end of the year. We’re close,” Waters tells Ask a Pol. “I’m very optimistic, yes.” Caught our ear:“I insist that the Federal Reserve be in it like any other central bank that has cryptocurrency. Your central bank has got to be involved,” Waters says. ICYMI: Gillibrand & Lummis waiting on HouseLISTEN: Laslo & WatersBelow find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Maxine WatersSCENE: Waters just finished a press conference outside the US Capitol at the House Triangle and is walking with a couple staffers as a troll rolls up on her recording video and shouting questions over our conversation. Duder with camera: “Congresswoman will you apologize…” Matt Laslo: “Congresswoman, I was wondering if there’s any update on your crypto bill with McHenry?”Maxine Waters: “Yes, it is. We’re gonna do — uhh.” Duder with camera: “Congresswoman will you apologize…” ML: “She’s talking to me!” MW: “We gotta do something — we gotta do something before the end of the year. We’re close. We’re close.”ML: “What are the sticking points now?”MW: “Stablecoin.”ML: “Yeah, the stablecoin measure.”MW: “Yes. Yes.”ML: “I heard that how much power the Federal Reserve has is kind of a main sticking point.”MW: “Well, I insist that the Federal Reserve be in it like every other central bank that has cryptocurrency. Your central bank has got to be involved.”ML: “Yeah?”MW: “Yeah.”ML: “You’re optimistic we’re gonna see something?”MW: “Say what?”ML: “You’re optimistic we’re gonna see something by the end of the year?”MW: “Yeah, I am. I’m very optimistic, yes. Thank you.”ML: “I’ll be watching. Thank you, ma’am.”MW: “You’re welcome.”Duder with camera: “You don’t wanna apologize?”ML: “She might comment if didn’t shout over. Jackass.”Matt Laslo covers tech politics for WIRED, lectures on technology’s impact on government at Johns Hopkins and is the founder of Ask a Pol — a new people-powered press corps. @MattLaslo / @AskaPol_cryptoAsk a Pol — asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapoluaps.com/subscribe