Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar reflected on the first quarter of the 115^th Congress, where he has served the people of California’s 31^st Congressional District in the House of Representatives.

“It’s my job to break through the gridlock in Washington and deliver for Inland Empire families,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “I’ll work with any Republican or Democrat as long as it means my community has a seat at the table. We have a lot of work to do to ensure San Bernardino County residents have the tools they need to find good-paying jobs, and have access to affordable health care and a quality education. I will continue working across the aisle to deliver those results.”

Since January 3, 2017, Rep. Aguilar has:

• Passed a bipartisan bill to combat domestic terror. The Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism (REPORT) Act requires the government to produce a report following a terrorist attack in the U.S. to outline how to prevent future, similar attacks.  The bill passed unanimously through the House of Representatives.
• Passed a bipartisan bill, the Active Duty Voluntary Acquisition of Necessary Credentials for Employment (ADVANCE) Act, which provides active-duty service members and reservists access to the same unique training and testing standards for a commercial driver’s license granted to veterans by the latest surface transportation bill. The bill passed the House by a vote of 409 to 0.
• Helped secure nearly $10 million in cybersecurity education funding for cybersecurity programs, including those that benefit California State University, San Bernardino students.
• Helped secure $1.3 million in Homeland Security funding for San Bernardino County to prepare for, prevent and respond to potential future terrorist attacks. 
• Announced $70,000 in federal funds for the community to help North Park Elementary in San Bernardino recover from the horrific shooting that claimed the lives of teacher Karen Smith and her student Jonathan Martinez.
• Launched a cyberwarriors pilot program through the United States Army following the passage of legislation last year.
• Introduced legislation to honor Jack H. Brown and name a historic post office in San Bernardino after the Inland Empire businessman and philanthropist.
• Added two critical cybersecurity amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual defense policy bill. The bill passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting action by the Senate.
• Passed a significant amendment to an appropriations bill in committee that would allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, commonly referred to as Dreamers, to be eligible for federal employment.
• Introduced the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act of 2017, which is endorsed by Inland Empire Economic Partnership’s Chief Economist Dr. John Husing. The bill would help local employers train and hire San Bernardino County job seekers.
• Added an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill that passed out of committee. Rep. Aguilar’s amendment adds $10 million to be available to law enforcement agencies for reimbursements following domestic terrorist attacks in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 and in the future.
• Hosted a senior fair to connect over 300 Inland Empire residents with important information on health care, housing, and food programs, and also assisted seniors struggling with federal programs and agencies including Social Security, Medicare and the VA.
• Hosted a college affordability workshop for Inland Empire students and their families looking for assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process and paying for college.
• Announced a Veterans Resource Fair to help local veterans connect with assistance organizations, offering help with employment, health care, housing, and to also assist with Veterans Affairs (VA) claims. The fair will be held on August 18^th in Colton.
• Hosted a health care roundtable with San Bernardino County health providers and patient advocacy organizations to discuss Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and the effect on our region.
• Kicked off his “Job For A Day” Tour across the Inland Empire, where he works different jobs at local businesses throughout the community to connect with residents and learn more about local businesses and the communities they serve.
• Held a town hall with over 500 Inland Empire residents and a telephone town hall with nearly 10,000 constituents.

Pete Aguilar represents California’s 31^st Congressional District. He serves on the House Committee on Appropriations. He is the Whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and is an Assistant Whip of the House Democratic Caucus.