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.
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