Aguilar Issues 115th Congress 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 during the 115th Congress. Reflecting on his service in the 115th Congress, Aguilar issued the following statement:
“Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve dedicated myself to making life better for families in the Inland Empire, the community my family has called home for four generations. From protecting access to health care and expanding job opportunities for our residents, to leading efforts to reach a bipartisan immigration compromise in the House of Representatives, I’ve worked every day to deliver on the priorities that matter most to the Inland Empire. I look forward to continuing that work in the 116th Congress.”
In the 115th Congress, Rep. Aguilar:
- Helped 784 constituents resolve issues with federal agencies such as Social Security, Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
- Helped return nearly $2 million that the federal government owed to residents of the 31st Congressional District.
- Announced over $80 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 10 community grants workshops and webinars to help connect local government agencies and non-profits with federal funding opportunities.
- Hosted two Inland Empire Jobs Fairs, resulting in over 60 Inland Empire residents getting hired.
- Hosted two Senior Fairs 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 Veterans Resource Fairs to connect Inland Empire veterans with local resources on health care, housing, employment and assistance with VA claims.
- Hosted seven town hall meetings, including a Seniors Town Hall, an Immigration Town Hall and two Telephone Town Halls.
- Participated in over 330 constituent meetings, tours and events.
- Worked nine different jobs as part of his “Job for a Day” tour of the Inland Empire.
- Launched a “Taco Tuesday” tour of Inland Empire restaurants to hear from small-business owners, employees and residents throughout the community.
- Founded the bipartisan E-Commerce Caucus, which provides a forum for Congress to discuss one of the Inland Empire’s largest industries.
- Authored three bills that passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate and were signed into law:
- The ADVANCE Act, a bill that provides military service members with employment opportunities upon returning to civilian life.
- The OPPORTUNITY Act, a bill to help connect under-represented communities with the Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program.
- A bill to honor the life and legacy of Stater Bros. Chairman Jack Brown by renaming the post office at 390 West 5th Street in San Bernardino the “Jack H. Brown Post Office Building.”
- Passed an additional bill through the House of Representatives:
- The REPORT Act, a bill to require the federal government to find the cause of future domestic terrorist attacks to help prevent future attacks.
- Introduced seven other bills:
- The GPA Act, a bill to ease the burden of student loan debt on recent graduates.
- The On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act, a bill that gives employers a tax credit to reduce the skills gap and connect Inland Empire employers with job seekers.
- The PROTECT Act, a bill to increase preparedness and improve responses to active shooter and mass casualty incidents.
- The PREVENT Act, a bill to provide local law enforcement with additional resources to identify and respond to extremist threats.
- The JETS Act, a bill to hold Trump Administration officials accountable for the misuse of taxpayer funds.
- The Recent Grads in Start-Ups and Innovation Act, a bill to spur innovation in the Inland Empire economy by helping recent college graduates start businesses.
- The JOBS Act, a bill to connect Inland Empire Job seekers with local employment resources.
- Worked with Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) to negotiate a bipartisan immigration compromise and introduce the Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act, a bill to provide a path to citizenship for DREAMers and make commonsense improvements to security at the southern border.
- Passed seven amendments to major legislation, including measures to increase cyber workforce development, provide additional funding to local law enforcement, and prevent the deportation of DACA recipients who serve in the US Military and the federal government.
Rep. Aguilar has represented California’s 31st Congressional District since 2015. In the 115th Congress he served on the Appropriations Committee and held leadership roles as Whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and assistant whip for the House Democratic Caucus. A map highlighting some of his work across the Inland Empire throughout the 115th Congress can be viewed here.