Congresswoman Maxine Waters visited Skid Row in Los Angeles on Friday and bought a book on Langston Hughes, though she made sure the homeless sidewalk vendor didn’t make off with an extra $10.

Waters visited the desolate on the corner of 5th and San Pedro in the heart of the city’s Skid Row, where she touted a $13 billion bill known as the “Ending Homelessness Act.”

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“I’ve got a big bill, it’s HR-1856, $13 billion. We’re working real hard,” Waters told a woman who goes by “Pink” as she recorded the comments on cell phone video. “So do everything that you can, keep talking it up, keep telling everybody, to get the message out.”

Waters walked the streets with Texas Rep. Al Green and a gaggle of staffers in tow as she toured a “tent protest” organized on the corner by Stephanie Arnold Williams, a homeless woman to who has developed a support system for area homeless, from free sewing, phone charging and diabetes tests, to a bookstore that generates money for the services and supplies.

“I like the set-up,” Waters told Williams.

“I put all these tents here, with my own money,” Williams said. “Free sewing for the community. I do high-blood pressure readings. I give shade … and a place to sit.

“And I did it because of police brutality broke my leg in 2013 and I couldn’t make it home,” she said. “So I’m fighting against police brutality. This is my tent. This is my cabinet that I put here. And while I’m fighting, I give back to the community and I sew.”

Waters thanked the woman and others who help at area rescue missions, and asked one of her staffers to write down Williams’ social media contact information.

Moments later, Waters posed with Williams and a book she purchased from the makeshift bookstore, though she’d already forgotten the woman’s name.

“I’m Maxine Waters and I’m here, I’m with,” Waters said, pausing and pointing to Williams, prompting her to identify herself.

“Stephanie Arnold Williams,” Williams said as Waters repeated.

“And she’s so creative. She set up a really nice environment here, but she’s got all these educational books. And guess what? I bought the … Langston Hughes book, $10,” Waters said, waving around a $20 bill. “I need change.”

The video of the exchange, posted to YouTube by Michael Blaze, features commentary from Williams and Pink after the visit. Pink explained she’s lived on the street there for six years, and Williams for longer, and the duo have big plans to expand in the future.

“We’re doing high blood-pressure readings, we’re do free phone charging, free sewing, free alterations, I teach, I give you shade, you can come sit in a chair, and we’re building our white house,” Williams said, referring to the white tents.

“So we really need your help. We need more of these canopies all the way down there, so we can build our medical resource center,” she said.

The duo are “super excited” about what the visit might mean for the area, and followed up Waters’ visit by singing Happy Birthday to the lawmaker, who turned 81 on Thursday.

“That’s $13 billion that she’s asking for, for us right here on the row,” Pink said. “We’re really advocating for this. We’re really pushing for this.”