Yesterday, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) led his colleagues and made the first Unanimous Consent request to urge Speaker John Boehner to immediately take up funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is scheduled to expire tonight at midnight if a bill is not passed and signed into law.

Reported by The Hill, Rep. Aguilar was the first Member to make a Unanimous Consent request, calling on Speaker John Boehner to take up H.R. 861, which would fully fund the Department of Homeland Security through the 2015 fiscal year. Representatives Roybal-Allard and Lowey introduced the bill two weeks ago.

Rep. Aguilar said, “I ask unanimous consent that the House bring H.R. 861, the clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill that would keep the department open, so it can carry out its mission of keeping the American people safe.” The story can be read in full here.

Rep. Aguilar has spoken on the House floor twice concerning funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Both sets of remarks can be viewed here. He co-authored a letter with Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) to Speaker John Boehner last week, urging him to take up a clean funding bill for a vote immediately. The letter can be read here.