Aguilar issues End-of-Year Report to constituents

Today, December 27, Rep. Aguilar issued a report to residents of California’s 31st Congressional District to review his work on behalf of Inland Empire families during 2021. Reflecting on the past year, Aguilar commented:

“This past year has been incredibly challenging for Inland Empire families, and my focus has been on providing our region with the resources needed to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and support our economy. As we enter a new year with the pandemic still devastating communities like ours, I will continue working to support the small businesses, frontline workers, first responders and families who are the backbone of San Bernardino County. I am proud of the work my team and I have done to support Inland Empire residents during these unprecedented times and I remain committed to working across the aisle to build a better, brighter future for the Inland Empire. I look forward to another year of serving the Inland Empire, the community my family has called home for four generations.”

This year, Rep. Aguilar delivered for the Inland Empire by:

• Helping 857 residents resolve outstanding issues with federal agencies, such as accessing the Social Security, Medicare, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits they have earned;
• Returning more than $200,000 that the federal government owed to CA-31 residents by federal agencies, including IRS refunds, veterans’ benefits, and Social Security payments;
• Announcing over $1 billion in direct federal funding for the Inland Empire, including funding for local police and fire departments, infrastructure projects, health care programs, and affordable housing services;
• Hosting virtual roundtables and telephone town hall meetings to help residents and small businesses access critical information and resources during the COVID-19 crisis;

Throughout the past year, Rep. Aguilar fought for legislation to help Inland Empire families by:

• Passing the American Rescue Plan, which gave most Americans direct payments of up to $1,200, provided funding to help safely reopen schools, and gave critical assistance to help small businesses keep workers on payroll and their doors open. It specifically provided $423 million to San Bernardino County, including nearly $240 million to cities in the 31^st district, $26.1 million for Inland Empire public transit projects to reduce smog and traffic; and $585 million to K-12 schools in the 31st Congressional district;
• Passing the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to repair roads, bridges and freeways, expand public transportation, reduce smog pollution, invest in regional airports and create good-paying jobs for Inland Empire residents;

• Passing the Build Back Better Act in the House to provide tax cuts to middle-class families, lower health care costs, expand access to child care, support small businesses and combat climate change;
• Introducing 11 pieces of legislation, including 5 bipartisan bills:

1. Introduced the bipartisan Wounded Warriors Access Act to streamline the process for veterans to access their claims files at the VA;

2. Introduced the REPORT, PREVENT, and PROTECT Acts to help the federal and local governments respond to incidents of domestic terrorism and prevent future attacks.

3. Introduced the bipartisan FHA Fairness Act to increase access to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans for homebuyers in the Inland Empire;

4. Introduced the bipartisan Jerry Lewis VA Clinic Act to rename the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic in Redlands after former Congressman Jerry Lewis, who previously represented the city of Redlands in Congress;

5. Introduced the bipartisan Protecting Students’ Civil Rights Act to ensure that institutions of higher education address discrimination on college campuses;

6. Introduced a resolution to support US Citizenship and Immigration Services and reduce their case backlog;

7. Introduced the Shielding Our Military from Extremists Act to help prevent white supremacists and other domestic extremists from enlisting in the military and preserve the integrity of our Armed Forces;

8. Co-led the introduction of the Homeownership for Dreamers Act to ensure that DACA recipients are eligible for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home loans; and

9. Introduced the bipartisan National GIS Day Resolution  to designate November 17, 2021 as National GIS Day and encourage the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to drive economic growth;

• Authoring a key amendment that passed the House of Representatives in the Protecting Our Democracy Act to protect election officials facing threats because of their work to support the democratic process;
• Directing the Government Accountability Office to conduct a report on the infrastructure needs of Hispanic Serving Institutions across the country, including Cal State San Bernardino and the University of Redlands;
• Passing legislation that would make it easier for residents in San Bernardino County to become first-time homebuyers with FHA loans;
• Passing legislation to improve wildland fire detection capabilities and support full-time federal wildland firefighters to help fight fires in California year-round;
• Participating in 7 hearings on the Committee on House Administration to support voting rights, strengthen the democratic process and ensure safe and secure elections;
• Serving on the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol to uncover the truth and provide the accountability;
• Hosting Chairman Price of the powerful House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee on a tour to advocate for infrastructure and housing investments in the Inland Empire, including the San Bernardino International Airport runway repair project, affordable housing developments and expanded public transit options like the Redlands Passenger Rail;
• Launching a Community Project Funding tour to advocate for federal funding for nearly $7 million for projects in the 31^st congressional district, including at Habitat for Humanity, Mary’s Mercy Center, Inc, and the San Bernardino International Airport.

In addition to the legislation he’s introduced and authored, Rep. Aguilar helped the House pass hundreds of bipartisan bills during the first year of the 117^th Congress. This includes bills to provide relief to the American people in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, expand access and increase affordability of health care, bring transparency to the VA system, strengthen voting rights and protect Dreamers and immigrant families across the country.