Pete Aguilar represents the 31st Congressional District of California. He was most recently re-elected in 2020 and serves on the House Appropriations Committee. In the 117th Congress, Rep. Aguilar holds the leadership position of Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
Raising his family in the community his family has called home for four generations, Representative Aguilar understands the challenges that Inland Empire families face today. He started his first job at the age of twelve, working with his grandfather at the San Bernardino County Courthouse cafeteria. He then put himself through college with the assistance of student loans and federal grants, and later established a life in public service to give back to his community.
It’s time for Congress to restore transparency in Washington and return political power to the people.
As a product of public schools and the father of two young boys attending public schools, I know first-hand that a quality education is vital to our future.
With the help of a federal Pell Grant, I worked my way through college. that’s why I believe every student who works hard should be able to afford a college education. Last year, I wrote a bill to help ease the student loan burden on students and their families, and I’ve been fighting back against Republican efforts to cut Pell Grants, on which so many Inland Empire students rely.
I’m proud to have earned the support of the California Teachers Association for my commitment to improving our public education system, expanding access to vocational programs and fighting to make college more affordable.
I am firmly committed to strengthening our clean air and water standards, promoting investments in clean energy technology and taking assertive actions to reduce carbon emissions and combat global climate change.
I take the effects of climate change and pollution very seriously and have worked in Congress to reduce our carbon footprint and prioritize the health and safety of our communities.
I am proud to have the support of the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club as I fight back against the Trump Administration’s attempts to weaken our environmental standards.
Every American should have access to high-quality, affordable health care. That’s why I’ve been fighting back against the Trump Administration’s efforts to take health care away from millions of families and allow health insurance companies to call the shots.
I fought efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and I oppose any effort that would allow insurance companies to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, raise rates, or cut millions off of their health care plans. I also fought against the Republican tax plan that gives 83 percent of the tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations while gutting Medicare and Medicaid and increasing insurance premiums for the middle class.
I am committed to expanding access to health care for all Americans and will continue fighting for policies that lower the cost of coverage for individuals and families.
Both parties need to come together to pass comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families together, provides a pathway to citizenship, protects people who were brought to the United States as children from deportation, while also protecting the border and our national security.
Earlier this year, I led Democratic negotiations in the House of Representatives on legislation to create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers after President Trump ended the DACA program. My bipartisan legislation makes sensible security improvements along the southern border and allows Dreamers to remain in the only country they’ve ever called home.
We need an immigration policy that builds bridges, not walls and keeps families together instead of tearing them apart.
As a member of Congress, protecting our national security and keeping Americans safe is my top priority. Since the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, I’ve been fighting to give first responders the support they need to fight crime and prevent future acts of domestic terrorism.
Last year, I helped secure over $1 million in funding that helps San Bernardino County prepare for, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks and I wrote a bill to increase coordination and streamline reporting to Congress among the national intelligence and law enforcement agencies so we can better prepare for and prevent future acts of domestic terrorism.
I also helped secure millions of dollars for local police and fire departments to ensure they have the resources to do their jobs and I spearheaded the effort to restart a national cybersecurity scholarship program that has provided Cal State San Bernardino students with the opportunity to work for the Department of Defense, protecting our country from international cyber attacks.
I’ve also been working to make our communities safer from gun violence by supporting universe background checks, banning assault weapons, high-capacity ammunition magazines and bump stocks, and preventing criminals, domestic abusers, terrorists, or the criminally mentally ill from purchasing guns.
Medicare and Social Security are vital to the health and welfare of older Americans in San Bernardino County and throughout our nation. I have fought Republican efforts to turn Medicare into a voucher program, which would force seniors to shop for health insurance on the private market and pay thousands more in out-of-pocket expenses for the same level of coverage.
I’m committed to protecting Social Security and cosponsored legislation affirming that Social Security should be preserved, protected and expanded. My annual Senior Fairs have connected hundreds of Inland Empire seniors with vital resources in our community and I will continue advocating for policies that reaffirm our promise that all Americans can retire with the dignity and respect they deserve.
We need to support the brave men and women who defend our country when they return home. In Congress, I helped hundreds of Inland Empire veterans get access to the benefits they’ve earned and my annual Veteran Resource Fairs have connected hundreds local veterans to critical housing, health care and employment opportunities here in San Bernardino County.
Earlier this year, I led the effort in Congress to pass a law that would ensure that military service members can use their skills from the military to quickly transition to good-paying jobs here in the Inland Empire when they return home and I helped secure over $500,000 to help homeless veterans in San Bernardino County.
Women’s reproductive rights are under constant attack and we’re still a long way away from realizing full pay equity for women. In Congress, I’ve been standing up to the Trump Administration’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and restrict access to abortions, contraceptives and family planning services.
And I’ve been on the front lines fighting to close the gender pay gap, end wage discrimination, improve the quality of care women veterans receive at the VA, and eliminate workplace discrimination against pregnant women.
I’m proud to have a 100% lifetime rating from Planned Parenthood and will continue to stand up for women’s reproductive rights.
The Great Recession devastated communities across the nation, particularly those in San Bernardino County. Since taking office, Representative Aguilar has made getting the Inland Empire economy moving again and putting residents back to work his top priorities. Helping small businesses grow and expand  Authored the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act—a bill that provides a tax credit for small businesses to train and hire new employees.  Authored the Small Business Jobs Act—a targeted tax credit to small businesses that operate in counties with unemployment rates above the national average, which would assist businesses in San Bernardino County.  Authored the Displaced Jobs Relief Act—a bill that helps businesses recover that have seen significant jobs or sales losses due to foreign competition.  Authored the Small Business Lending Assistance Act—a bill to eliminate fees for certain Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to businesses in areas with higher unemployment rates so small businesses can access capital.  Authored the Job Opportunity and Business Services (JOBS) Act—a bill that opens communication channels for Workforce Development Boards (WDB) to use federal resources to advertise their services.  Formed a Small Business Advisory Board—a group of Inland Empire small business owners from various industries regularly meet with Rep. Aguilar to advise him on the issues facing Inland Empire employers, and to make recommendations for steps that can be taken at the federal level to alleviate small business’ burdens.  Supported the America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act—a bi-partisan bill to provide stability and tax relief for small businesses by permanently extending a tax break that assists them invest in property and equipment. Connecting residents with job opportunities  Hosted a Jobs Fair that connected local employers with Inland Empire job-seekers. Investing in our infrastructure to support business growth  Cosponsored the National Infrastructure Development Bank Act—a bill that helps fund projects to repair streets, roads, highways and bridges in Southern California and across the country.  Helped secure federal funds for Inland Empire building and construction projects—more than $1 million dollars was granted by the federal government for the construction of Loma Linda University Health’s San Bernardino Campus – Rep. Aguilar has supported a number of projects like this to help grow the Inland Empire economy and create jobs for our residents. Supporting Inland Empire workers and families  Cosponsored the Raise the Wage Act—a bill to incrementally raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $12.00 an hour by 2020.  Cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act—a bill to close the wage gap that exists between men and women. Today, women earn on average 79 cents to every dollar made by men.
While it’s been nearly one hundred years since women won the right to vote, the fight for gender equality endures. As women’s reproductive rights are attacked and pay equity struggles to become a reality, Representative Aguilar has continued to be a fierce advocate for women’s rights at home and in the workplace. Raising Wages for Working Families  Cosponsored H.R. 2150, the Raise the Wage Act, to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $12.00 an hour by 2020, which would significantly benefit working women who make up approximately two-thirds of minimum wage workers in the United States and many of whom are the heads of their households.  Cosponsored H.R. 1619, the Paycheck Fairness Act, to close the pay gap between men and women and help end wage discrimination by ensuring equal pay for equal work. Women currently make only 79 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. The issue is even more pressing for African American women and Latinas, who make on average only 60 cents and 55 cents respectively for every dollar earned by white men. Quality Education and Affordable Child Care  Supports expanding federal support for working families who need access to child care.  Cosponsored H.R. 2411, the Strong Start for America’s Children Act, a bipartisan bill that would help local school districts start pre-k programs.  Supports increasing investments in Head Start so all children, regardless of family income, have access to critical early childhood education programs. Access to Affordable Reproductive Health Care  Proud member of the Pro-Choice Caucus which advocates for women’s reproductive rights and access to quality and affordable health care.  Voted against mulitple Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and limit access to family planning services for low-income women.  Cosponsored H.R. 448, the Women’s Health Protection Act, which stops states from restricting access to reproductive services.  Cosponsored H.R. 2972, the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Woman Act to repeal the Hyde Amendment restrictions to ensure that women enrolled in federal health care programs have equal access to abortion coverage. Supporting Women Entrepreneurs  Women small business owners who seek loans are approved 20 percent less often than their male counterparts, which is why Rep. Aguilar is working with the Small Business Administration to bring resources to help Inland Empire women entrepreneurs expand their workforce and create jobs in the community