On the Issues

Delivering for the Inland Empire

Rep. Aguilar came to Congress to deliver for the community his family has called home for four generations. He has consistently delivered for the residents of the Inland Empire by prioritizing legislation that will create a fairer economy, strengthen our nation’s democracy and improve equity for all Americans.

Since 2015, Rep. Aguilar and his team have assisted nearly 4,000 constituents resolve issues with federal agencies and returned over $4 million owed to Inland Empire residents by federal agencies, including IRS refunds, veterans’ benefits and Social Security payments.

Community Project Funding

In 2022, Rep. Aguilar secured nearly $7 million in funding for local projects in the Inland Empire:

• Project Name: COVID-19 Response Expanded Mental Health Services
  • Project Requestor: Children’s Fund, Inc.
  • Requested Amount: $100,000
  • Summary: The funding will provide support for vulnerable and displaced children in the Inland Empire with appropriate, trauma-informed mental healthcare at the Children’s Fund Child Abuse Forensic Assessment Center.

• Project Name: Rancho Cucamonga Second Story and Beyond Project
  • Project Requestor: City of Rancho Cucamonga
  • Requested Amount: $1,000,000
  • Summary: The funding will develop STEM-related museum exhibits and educational programming for K-12 students to inspire the next generation of scientists in the Inland Empire. The funding also will be used to conduct outreach to underserved, underrepresented, and minority communities to bring diversity to STEM fields, including in space exploration and research.

• Project Name: City of Redlands Emergency Operations Center Improvement Project
  • Project Requestor: City of Redlands
  • Requested Amount: $712,500
  • Summary: The funding will help address operational and functional needs at the Emergency Operations Center and will ensure the facility is prepared to respond to any catastrophic events or natural disasters, including earthquakes and fires, in the Inland Empire.

• Project Name: City of Rialto’s Body Worn-Camera Upgrade
  • Project Requestor: City of Rialto
  • Requested Amount: $700,000
  • Summary: The funding will support transparency in law enforcement by upgrading the city’s public safety body-worn camera system to be used by field (sworn and non-sworn) personnel. This project will build trust between Inland Empire residents and law enforcement and simultaneously create a higher quality of evidence for law enforcement investigations.

• Project Name: Downtown Upland Main Street Economic Recovery and Revitalization Project
  • Project Requestor: City of Upland
  • Requested Amount: $1,000,000
  • Summary: The funding will revitalize the historic Upland downtown district to support small businesses, including through creating pedestrian friendly pathways, rehabilitating decayed public infrastructure, and increasing access to public transportation and will help the community’s small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Project Name: Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Blitz Build
  • Project Requestor: Habitat for Humanity San Bernadino Area Inc.
  • Requested Amount: $800,000
  • Summary: The funding will allow for the construction of at least four homes for honorably discharged veterans in San Bernardino. The funding will provide veterans who served their country affordable housing options and prevent veterans from becoming homeless.

• Project Name: Moving KVCR into the Future, Public Broadcasting Opportunities for College Students
  • Project Requestor: KVCR Inland Future’s Foundation
  • Requested Amount: $1,000,000
  • Summary: The funding would be used for providing Inland Empire community college students with educational experience and hands-on workplace training in public radio and broadcasting through continuance of KVCR and its related student programming. This funding will support KVCR’s development team, which will create programs and curricula and support student produced shows in the Inland Empire.

• Project Name: Realizing Educational and Career Hopes (REACH) Project
  • Project Requestor: Mary’s Mercy Center, Inc.
  • Requested Amount: $300,000
  • Summary: The funding will create and implement a comprehensive workforce development program for Mary’s Mercy Center’s homeless transitional housing program participants. In partnership with the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department, the REACH Project will utilize evidence-based workforce development programming and supportive services to provide homeless men, women, and women with children with the foundation needed to obtain and retain employment leading to transitioning to safe and stable housing and self-sufficiency.

• Project Name: Increasing Access to Healthcare Program
  • Project Requestor: SAC Health System
  • Requested Amount: $375,000
  • Summary: The funding will increase health center access to low-income residents of San Bernardino County through the use of mobile healthcare. The medically underserved population is often unable to access care, lacks the resources to purchase medications, laboratory tests, and nutritious food, and this program will address the numerous barriers that Inland Empire residents face by bringing health care to low-income residents and improving health outcomes.

• Project Name: San Bernardino International Airport Runway Repair Project
  • Project Requestor: San Bernardino International Airport Authority
  • Requested Amount: $1,000,000
  • Summary: The funding will ensure the airport can conduct critical repair work at the airport’s main runway and will help revitalize the airport and create good-paying jobs in San Bernardino.

In December 2022, Rep. Aguilar secured $30,152,130 in Community Project Funding for the Inland Empire in the final 2023 government funding package. Rep. Aguilar championed funding for 15 projects that will directly benefit Inland Empire residents. These include:

Project Name: 3^rd Street Corridor Project

Project Requestor: Inland Valley Development Agency Joint Powers Authority

Amount Secured: $3,000,000

Summary: The funding will support a much-needed infrastructure project that will enhance safety, mobility and access to the growing San Bernardino International Airport.

Project Name: Arrowhead Grove Community Resource Center

Project Requestor: Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino

Amount Secured: $3,000,000

Summary: The funding will create a resource center at the Arrowhead Grove housing community. This would provide easy access to services by establishing a multi-faceted health campus open to any San Bernardino resident.

Project Name: Funding for a New Master of Science in Physician Assistant (MSPA) Program

Project Requestor: California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB)

Amount Secured: $2,000,000

Summary: The funding will provide medical equipment to CSUSB’s new Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program and assist in the renovation of a facility for teaching and training students.

Project Name: Lake Rialto Habitat Management and Community Open Space Project

Project Requestor: City of Rialto

Amount Secured: $2,000,000

Summary: The funding will promote clean air and a healthier, more sustainable community in the city of Rialto while increasing access to nature for residents.

Project Name: Cucamonga Canyon Trailhead at Morgan Ranch, Rancho Cucamonga

Project Requestor: City of Ranch Cucamonga

Amount Secured: $1,000,000

Summary: The funding will create a trailhead to protect the natural resources of Cucamonga Canyon, enhance public access to the area and protect the safety of visitors and residents.

Project Name: Fontana Homelessness Prevention Resource and Care Center (Phase 1)

Project Requestor: City of Fontana

Amount Secured: $4,000,000

Summary: The funding will provide housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness in San Bernardino County.

Project Name: Little 3rd Street Project

Project Requestor: San Bernardino County

Amount Secured: $2,560,000

Summary: This funding will support an infrastructure project developing the Little 3rd Street area in San Bernardino. The project will expand access to transit, shopping centers and office space while improving safety for pedestrians and motorists.

Project Name: Mental Health Outreach Program for the Sickle Cell Community

Project Requestor: Loma Linda University Medical Center

Amount Secured: $542,597

Summary: The funding will create a regional mental health outreach program, coinciding with a coordinated system of care, for individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) and for their caregivers. This program will connect individuals to wrap around behavioral health resources and services.

Project Name: Sustainable Communities Catalyst Project

Project Requestor: Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc.

Amount Secured: $1,000,000

Summary: This funding will allow a local non-profit to purchase and preserve affordable housing, while investing in neighborhoods and sustaining local businesses.

Project Name: Reche Canyon Rd. Realignment to Hunts Lane

Project Requestor: City of Colton

Amount Secured: $4,166,000

Summary: The funding will support a much-needed infrastructure project to relieve congestion at the intersection of Hunts Lane and Washington Street and Reche Canyon Road and Washington Street in the City of Colton.

Project Name: Restoration of San Bernardino’s Historic Roosevelt Bowl

Project Requestor: City of San Bernardino

Amount Secured: $1,400,000

Summary: The funding will renovate and re-open the New Deal-era outdoor performance venue. The Roosevelt Bowl is an important economic catalyst for the city of San Bernardino.

Project Name: Clean Energy Hybrid and Electric Vehicle (EV) Technician Program

Project Requestor: San Bernardino Valley College Foundation

Amount Secured: $1,500,000

Summary: This funding will purchase heavy-duty, zero-emission trucks and charging stations that will be used by San Bernardino Valley College students training for careers in the jobs of the future.

Project Name: Santa Ana River Enhanced Stormwater Recharge Project Phase 1B

Project Requestor: San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District

Amount Secured: $2,500,000

Summary: This funding will increase the amount of storm water from the Santa Ana River that can be captured from the Seven Oaks Dam. Roughly 400,000 people throughout the region rely on this groundwater source.

Project Name: University Village Development Project

Project Requestor: University of Redlands

Amount Secured: $750,000

Summary: This funding will support a mixed-use infrastructure project for the University of Redlands, including the construction of a transit plaza. The “University Village” will include affordable housing, creative live/workspaces, green space and public transit access that will spur economic activity within the community.

Project Name: Empowering Youth Resilience and Promoting Social Emotional Healing

Project Requestor: Youth Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy

Amount Secured: $733,533.26

Summary: This funding will provide support services and job training for young people in San Bernardino aimed at reducing recidivism rates of substance abuse, human trafficking, and domestic violence.

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Jobs and the Economy

Rep. Aguilar believes that we need an economy that is fair and where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We all stand to benefit when our nation has a strong and productive workforce and families are economically secure. As we continue to build a better America, we need to ensure that low-income and middle-class families are not left behind.

To achieve these goals, Rep. Aguilar introduced the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services Expansion Act, which increases funding for the Federal Highway Administration’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services Program from $10 million to $25 million. This program provides training, assistance and other necessary resources to minority- and women- owned businesses to help them gain access to federally-assisted highway contract projects. As infrastructure projects get underway across the country, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, it is imperative that more disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned firms have a seat at the table. This bill serves as a step toward expanding economic opportunity and creating jobs.

Rep. Aguilar, in the 114^th, 115^th and 116^th Congresses, introduced the Job Opportunity and Business Services (JOBS) Act, which empowers local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) to advertise their services – including career-counseling, mentoring and on-the-job training – to businesses and potential employees in communities they serve. This bill was a product of conversations Rep. Aguilar had with Inland Empire community leaders and advocates on ensuring people have the right resources to secure good-paying jobs.

Rep. Aguilar is committed to lowering costs for families in the Inland Empire, which is why he voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This is historic legislation that will lower the price of prescription drugs for hard-working families, keeps health insurance affordable for millions of Americans and make the largest investment in modern history to combat climate change.

Rep. Aguilar is focused on passing legislation that will set the course for our economic future, like the landmark American Rescue Plan, which continues to provide resources for hardworking American families since becoming law. Rep. Aguilar also voted in favor of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a comprehensive bill that invests billions of dollars in our country’s roads, bridges, highways and high-speed internet access. Additionally, Rep. Aguilar voted to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, which expands our nation’s capacity to manufacture semiconductors, addresses national security and shores up global supply chains.

As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Aguilar has worked hard to ensure that the Inland Empire directly benefits from his efforts. In 2021, Rep. Aguilar announced over $1 billion in direct federal funding for local fire and police departments, healthcare programs and affordable housing services.

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Health Care

At some point, everyone gets sick and needs to see a doctor. That’s why Rep. Aguilar believes that all Americans deserve quality, affordable health care and high-quality health care facilities.

Rep. Aguilar fought hard to pass American Rescue Plan, the greatest investment in affordable health care access and coverage in over a decade. The American Rescue Plan has helped reduce out-of-pocket costs for Americans by addressing premium subsidies and for the first time ever, creating new subsidies to expand coverage for those previously excluded from financial assistance.

Building off of the American Rescue Plan’s historic investments, Rep. Aguilar helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This historic legislation allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and caps out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000. The bill also extends Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for three more years – ensuring lower health care premiums for millions of Americans.

Rep. Aguilar also helped pass the No Surprise Billing Act, one of the most significant consumer protection measures passed in the past decade, which will go into effect in 2022. It will ensure that no one is forced to endure hidden fees after a hospital visit.

Rep. Aguilar looks forward to continuing working to expand and protect quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

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Reproductive Health Care

The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade rolled back more than 50 years of settled law and ensures that girls growing up in America will have less freedom than their mothers and grandmothers. This decision sets precedent for right-wing extremists and their allies on the Supreme Court to try and roll back other settled law, like access to contraception, as well.

Rep. Aguilar is doing everything he can to make sure this does not happen. Rep. Aguilar helped pass the Ensuring Women’s Right to Freedom Act (H.R. 8297), which will protect Americans from extreme state laws that criminalize abortion by ensuing women cannot be prevented, restricted or retaliated against for traveling across state lines to seek an abortion. Rep. Aguilar also voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8296), which restores the right to abortion nationwide, ensuring that Americans – regardless of where they live – can make their own decisions about their own lives. Additionally, Rep. Aguilar voted to pass the Right to Contraception Act (H.R. 8373), to enshrine the right to contraception in federal law.

It is clear that women’s fundamental freedoms are in jeopardy. Rep. Aguilar will keep fighting to block these extreme proposals and champion legislation that permanently protects these rights.

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Education

As a father of two school-aged children, a former Head Start teacher’s aide and a public servant, Rep. Aguilar has always believed that equal access to quality education for every child in America is incredibly important. Throughout his time in Congress, Rep. Aguilar has supported legislation that supports early childhood nutrition, and tutoring and academic counseling for low-income students, students with disabilities and other disadvantaged students.

In 2021, Rep. Aguilar introduced the Protecting Students’ Civil Rights Act to end racial inequity within American colleges and universities. Higher education needs to be accessible to students of all backgrounds. Our country’s institutions play a significant role in leveling the playing field and allowing students of color and students from underserved communities to thrive in their chosen future careers, but only if we ensure those students can thrive in a harassment and discrimination free environment.

In 2021, Rep. Aguilar helped pass the American Rescue Plan, which provided elementary and secondary schools in the Inland Empire $425 Million dollars to help ensure they had the necessary resources to provide students a proper education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Inland Empire schools received over $18 million to help schools cover the costs of laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems and more for students and school staff. Rep. Aguilar knows that internet access is a necessity, not a luxury and believes that no student should miss out on learning because of lack of accessibility.

The Inland Empire is also home to top-notch institutions of higher education for which Rep. Aguilar secured hundreds of millions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan. These funds were distributed to students for emergency financial assistance grants to students who are facing hunger, homelessness and other hardship.

Throughout his time in Congress, Rep. Aguilar has continued to find ways to strengthen public education. Rep. Aguilar knows that student success starts in the classroom. When he was a Head Start teacher’s aide, he saw firsthand how qualified teachers can make a difference in the lives of their students. He looks forward to working in tandem with the Biden Administration to ensure the success of students across the country is prioritized by continuing to tackle college affordability, expanding early education and investing in technical and career training.

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Supporting Our Veterans

Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect our country. We made a promise to take care of our servicemembers when they returned home, and Rep. Aguilar has always supported legislation that honors that promise. Our veterans deserve great health care, more efficient government services and the peace of mind that their sacrifices for our nation were not in vain.

That is why Rep. Aguilar introduced the bipartisan Wounded Warrior Access Act, which streamlines the process for veterans to submit a claim for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Rep. Aguilar’s bill updates an antiquated system and will make the lives of veterans in the Inland Empire and throughout the country easier. On September 14, 2022, Rep. Aguilar’s bill passed the US House of Representatives on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. This bill now awaits passage in the Senate.

In 2022, Rep. Aguilar supported the bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act, one of the largest expansions of veterans’ health care in a generation. This bill creates presumptions for 23 different respiratory illnesses and cancers, shifting the burden of proof off our veterans by finally conceding exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards. Rep. Aguilar, following the recommendations from his local Veterans Advisory Board, worked to include language declaring Thule, Greenland as one of the recognized locations where veterans were exposed to radiation. On January 21, 1968, a United States Air Force B-52 bomber crashed near Thule Air Base in Greenland. The B-52 bomber was carrying four nuclear bombs, which created radioactive contamination throughout the area. Although the US and Denmark launched a cleanup, workers involved in the program experienced radiation-related illnesses.

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Housing

Homeownership is an important driver of wealth for American Families, but there remain significant barriers to buying property for many people. Rising housing costs in the Inland Empire are boxing too many families out of homeownership. Rep. Aguilar is committed to finding commonsense solutions to the affordable housing crisis and passing legislation that will make it easier for families to own their homes.

Rep. Aguilar introduced the bipartisan FHA Fairness Act to help homebuyers access higher loan limits with low-interest housing loans. Expanding FHA loan limits is a commonsense solution to help more Americans and residents of the Inland Empire become homeowners. In addition, Rep. Aguilar introduced the Homeownership for Dreamers Act, which ensures that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiaries, or Dreamers, are eligible for FHA home loans and Rural Housing home loans. Rep. Aguilar knows that Dreamers and their families are a key part of communities across the country and believes they should have the same opportunities to become homeowners as any other American.

To help with the affordable housing crisis, Rep. Aguilar introduced the Affordable Housing Resident Services Act, which secures funding for affordable housing properties to provide supportive services for their residents. This bill helps give families the tools they need to get ahead, like after school programs, financial literacy training, elderly care and more.

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Environment

It is our responsibility to future generations to conserve our resources, protect our environment and do our best to mitigate effects the climate crisis has on our planet. For the past couple of years, we’ve seen unprecedented fire seasons, devastating hurricanes, extreme drought, rising sea levels and more devastate thousands of communities globally. We need to take immediate action, or soon it will be too late.

Rep. Aguilar is committed to advancing a climate-forward agenda that promotes opportunity for Inland Empire workers, businesses and entrepreneurs and puts us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21^st century. 

That is why Rep. Aguilar fought hard to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which contains the largest investment in climate change in modern history. This bill invested $369 billion in clean energy tax credits to address the climate crisis and reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. This historic legislation also provides ten years of consumer tax credits to families so they can lower energy costs, create home energy rebate programs and invests $1 billion to make affordable housing units across the country more energy efficient.

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Rep. Aguilar helped pass and get signed into law in 2021, was a historic investment in federal funds to modernize our nation’s energy grid system and decarbonize and expand public transportation systems. From a historic investment in rail and low-emissions transit options, to expanded broadband access, that will give every American access to fast and reliable internet, the economic benefits of this bill will be felt throughout San Bernardino County.

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Protecting American Values

Rep. Aguilar believes the promise of this our country will only be fully realized if we put an end to division and extremism and come together as one nation.

Democracy

The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy. As a member of Congress, Rep. Aguilar believes that we must reaffirm our American commitment to the rule of law, equality and our sacred right to vote.

Rep. Aguilar supports the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act which would protect the right to vote, remove dark money in our elections, and end partisan gerrymandering.

Additionally, Rep. Aguilar authored a key provision in the Protecting Our Democracy Act. This provision amends the Help America Vote Act to require each state’s chief election official to create a database of elections officials who have received threats and need their personal identifiable information protected to guarantee our nation can hold safe and fair elections.

Rep. Aguilar was appointed by the Speaker of the House to the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol. January 6^th was one of the darkest days in our country’s history, and Rep. Aguilar is honored to serve on this committee. He was on the House floor that day when a violent mob, intent on preventing the certification of a free and fair election, broke into the Capitol. The attack on the Capitol and our democracy left five dead, more than 140 police officers injured, and Members and staff traumatized. Rep. Aguilar believes we owe them—and the American people— a fair, thorough and evidence-based investigation into what happened that day so that we can ensure it never happens again. 

Rep. Aguilar voted to pass the Presidential Election Reform Act (H.R. 8873), which makes important reforms to the Electoral Count Act of 1887, a law where supporters of former president Donald Trump sought to take advantage of in their attempt to thwart a peaceful transfer of power. These bipartisan reforms make important changes to the laws that govern the cornerstone of our democracy and prevent an attack like the one we saw on January 6^th from ever happening again. This legislation was informed by months of investigation, thousands of pages of testimony and 9 public hearings held by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol. The legislation will reform the Electoral Count Act to ensure that Congress counts the votes as required by the Constitution. It enacts clear, concise and comprehensive counting rules that affirm the Vice President’s role on January 6th is ministerial, increases the objection threshold to one-third of each house and states explicit Constitutional grounds upon which Members can object to a state’s electoral votes.

Immigration

We are a nation of immigrants. Immigrants are a vital asset to our country’s communities. Rep. Aguilar is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship and has continuously advocated on behalf of Dreamers and immigrants. He supports the Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Rep. Aguilar also authored a resolution to highlight the importance of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and express the House of Representatives’ commitment to working with the Biden Administration to reduce the immigration case backlog.

Ending Discrimination

Rep. Aguilar is an original cosponsor of and voted in favor of the House-passed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This historic legislation contains bold, unprecedented reforms to curb police brutality, end racial profiling and eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement. This legislation will transform the culture of policing to address systemic racism and help save lives as it holds police accountable and increases transparency.

Rep. Aguilar also voted to pass the COVID Hate Crimes Act, Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act and more to ensure those who commit hate crimes in this country are held accountable.

Rep. Aguilar supports the Equality Act, which ends workplace discrimination for LGBTQ people. This historic, landmark legislation extends anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans about employment, education, access to credit, jury service, federal funding, housing and public accommodations.

Throughout his time in Congress, Rep. Aguilar has demonstrated that he is an advocate for policies that promote equity, end hate and bigotry and stay true to our nation’s promise of equality and justice for everyone.

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Keeping Our Communities Safe

Families of San Bernardino, Columbine, Sandy Hook, Boulder, Buffalo, Parkland, Uvalde, and so many more have suffered horrific loss and continue to experience trauma due to gun violence. Rep. Aguilar is committed to passing commonsense legislation that will save lives and keep weapons of war off our streets.

Rep. Aguilar fought hard to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, historic gun violence prevention that will protect children, keep schools safe and reduce the threat of violence in communities in the Inland Empire and across the country. Rep. Aguilar also helped pass the Active Shooter Alert (H.R. 6538), which creates a program similar to the AMBER Alert system to warn communities of a nearby active shooter. Additionally, Rep. Aguilar voted for the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, which prohibits the sale, manufacture and possession of high-capacity magazines and semiautomatic assault weapons.

In order to protect our communities and prevent crime in the Inland Empire, our law enforcement officers need the necessary tools and resources. Rep. Agular voted for a comprehensive, legislative package to secure funding for police departments and increase public safety. This package included The Invest to Protect Act (H.R. 8448), which establishes a grant through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS) program to assist small law enforcement agencies fund recruitment, mental health support, training and retention. The Mental Health Justice Act (H.R. 8542), to send unarmed mental health professionals to de-escalate mental health crises, an overdue action to potentially save lives from fatal encounters with armed law enforcement officers. The Break Our Cycle of Violence Act (H.R. 4118), which creates evidence-based community violence prevention and intervention programs. The VICTIM Act (H.R. 5768), to strengthen the ability of our police forces to properly train detectives to investigate rapes, sexual assault, homicides, non-fatal shootings and kidnappings, while ensuring they are addressing the needs of the victims and their families.

Defending Our Nation

After his hometown of San Bernardino suffered from a domestic terror attack in 2015, Rep. Aguilar quickly realized the federal government’s role in responding to and preventing attacks needed to be increased. The attack on the US Capitol was a grim reminder of how far we still have to go to prevent violent extremists and terrorists from carrying out these violent acts.

Rep. Aguilar, in response, introduced three bills: the REPORT Act, the PROTECT Act and the PREVENT Act. The REPORT Act requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to collaborate with the FBI, Office of the US Attorney General and National Counterterrorism Center to submit a report to Congress in the wake of domestic terror incidents and recommend actions to prevent future terror incidents. The PREVENT Act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide training to local communities on how to best mitigate threats from extremists such as white nationalists, and the PROTECT Act makes DHS resources available to help local communities prepare for and prevent active shooter incidents. Rep. Aguilar’s REPORT Act passed out of the House of Representatives in April 2022 and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

Rep. Aguilar also introduced the Shielding Our Military from Extremists Act, to keep white supremacists and extremists out of the US military.