Aguilar Issues End of Year Report to Constituents

Rep. Aguilar issued a report to residents of California’s 31st Congressional District to review his work on behalf of Inland Empire families in 2019. Reflecting on the past year, Aguilar commented:

“This year marked the beginning of the 116^th Congress, the most diverse in our nation’s history. Since then, I’ve joined my colleagues in working to create a fairer economy, fighting to lower the costs of health care and prescription drugs, standing up for our veterans and seniors, and rooting out corruption in Washington. I’m proud of the work I’ve done to introduce thoughtful legislation that addresses the priorities of Inland Empire families, and even more proud of the work my team and I have done to provide resources to people in our community. I look forward to another year of serving the Inland Empire, the community my family has called home for four generations.”

In 2019, Rep. Aguilar has:

• Resolved 355 cases constituents had with federal agencies such as Social Security, Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
• Helped return nearly $600,000 that the federal government owed to residents of the 31st Congressional District.
• Announced over $71 million in federal funding for the Inland Empire, including over $1 million in terrorism preparedness funding and over $1 million for local fire departments.  
• Hosted a Job Fair to connect high school students with good-paying technical career opportunities in the Inland Empire after graduation.
• Hosted a Citizenship and Naturalization Fair to help immigrant families in our community become naturalized citizens.
• Hosted a Veterans Resource Fair to connect Inland Empire veterans with local resources on health care, housing, employment and assistance with VA claims.
• Hosted a Senior Fair to provide Inland Empire seniors with free health screenings and help them obtain information on local food programs, health services, and Medicare, Social Security and veterans benefits.
• Hosted two events to provide Inland Empire students with information about the US Military Service Academy nomination process.
• Hosted 18 events and meetings to help connect local agencies with federal grant opportunities.
• Participated in 140 meetings, tours and events with CA-31 residents.
• Worked five different jobs throughout the Inland Empire as part of his “Job for a Day” tour of the Inland Empire.
• Held three events to connect Inland Empire residents with jobs through the 2020 Census and to promote the importance of the census.
• Secured $10 million for the Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program, which benefits students at California State University San Bernardino, through an appropriations bill signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2019.
• Passed legislation that would increase home ownership rates in San Bernardino County by adjusting Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limits through an appropriations bill signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2019.
• Passed legislation to provide opportunities for DACA recipients by protecting them from deportation and making them eligible for federal employment.
• Passed the Santa Ana Wash Plan Land Exchange Act, a bill to conserve habitat for endangered species and spur over $47 million of investments into the San Bernardino County economy, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 12, 2019.
• Introduced three bills which are pending before the House: 
  • The REPORT Act, a bill to require the federal government to report on the causes of domestic terrorist attacks to help prevent future attacks.
  • The PREVENT Act, a bill to provide local law enforcement with additional resources to identify and respond to extremist threats.
  • The JOBS Act, a bill to connect Inland Empire Job seekers with local employment resources.
• Authored seven amendments which were included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, which has been passed by both the House and the Senate and will be signed into law by President Trump.
  • An amendment to expand the types of education military spouses can pursue using the tuition benefits offered under the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account to include Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees as well as technical and vocational training.
  • An amendment to ensure military service members are debriefed on how to file claims and where to send the necessary documents to receive veterans’ benefits as they transition to civilian life.
  • An amendment to prohibit the Department of Defense from participating in the deportation of service members or honorably discharged veterans with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
  • An amendment that directs the Department of Defense to provide guidance on how to apply for citizenship to immigrants who serve in the US Military and are transitioning to civilian life.
  • An amendment to allow students attending one or two-year certificate programs to qualify for the Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program.
  • An amendment to require a feasibility study on the use of FBI databases for the Department of Defense to screen for extremists who seek to enlist in the US military.
  • An amendment calling for budget experts to be present at Nuclear Weapons Council meetings to ensure costs are considered when decisions are made regarding the United States’ nuclear weapons programs.
• Served on the bipartisan, bicameral conference committee that negotiated the 2019 Homeland Security funding deal to end the longest government shutdown in US History.

In addition to the legislation he’s introduced and authored, Rep. Aguilar has helped the House pass more than 275 bipartisan bills. These include bills to end unfair taxes on military families, raise wages for working Americans, drastically lower the prices of prescription drugs and health care, implement background checks on all firearm purchases, and stand up for the rights of Dreamers and the LGBTQ community.

Rep. Aguilar has represented California’s 31st Congressional District since 2015. In the 116th Congress he sits on the House Appropriations Committee, where he serves as Vice Chair, and on the Committee on House Administration. Rep. Aguilar was selected by his colleagues to serve as a Chief Deputy Whip in the House Democratic Caucus, as a Member of the Steering & Policy Committee, and as Whip of the New Democrat Coalition.