Today, Rep. Aguilar issued a year-end report to constituents of California’s 31st Congressional District to review his work on behalf of Inland Empire families in 2017.
“Throughout this year, and throughout my time in Congress, my top priority has been to deliver results for the Inland Empire. From making it easier for returning service members to get jobs in our community, to securing critical resources for local law enforcement to keep our residents safe, my focus throughout this year has been on ensuring that our community has a chance to thrive,” Aguilar said. He continued, “Whether it’s helping small businesses grow and create jobs, working to ensure everyone has access to affordable health care or fighting to protect Dreamers and prevent families from being torn apart, I am committed to doing all I can to support Inland Empire families.”
In 2017, Rep. Aguilar:
• Helped 938 residents resolve issues with federal agencies such as Social Security, Medicare and the VA.
• Helped return nearly $725,000 that was owed to residents by the federal government.
• Announced nearly $14 million in federal funding for the Inland Empire, including over $1 million in terrorism preparedness funding.
• Hosted the 3rd Inland Empire Jobs Fair, which resulted in over 60 Inland Empire residents getting hired.
• Hosted a community grants workshop to connect Inland Empire organizations with federal agencies to learn about federal grant opportunities.
• Hosted the 3rd Seniors Fair to help Inland Empire seniors find information on Medicare, Social Security or veterans benefits, as well as information on food programs and free health screenings.
• Hosted a Veterans Resource Fair to connect Inland Empire veterans with resources on health care, housing, employment and assistance with VA claims.
• Participated in 210 constituent meetings, tours and events.
• Hosted a total of 5 town hall meetings, including a Seniors Town Hall, an Immigration Town Hall and a Telephone Town Hall for nearly 10,000 constituents.
• Worked five different jobs as part of his “Job for a Day” tour of the Inland Empire.
• Founded the bipartisan E-Commerce Caucus, which provides a forum for Congress to discuss one of the Inland Empire’s largest industries.
• Introduced seven bills to:
o Ease the burden of student loan debt on recent graduates.
o Reduce the skills gap and connect Inland Empire employers and job seekers.
o Require the federal government to find the causes leading to domestic terror attacks to help prevent future attacks from happening.
o Provide local law enforcement with additional resources to prepare for and prevent mass shootings.
o Connect military service members with employment opportunities upon returning to civilian life.
o Hold Trump Administration officials accountable for the misuse of taxpayer funds.
o Honor the life and legacy of Stater Bros. Chairman Jack Brown.
• Passed five amendments to major legislation, including measures to increase cyber workforce development, provide additional funding to local law enforcement, and allow DACA recipients to pursue careers in the federal government.
• Passed the REPORT Act through the House, to require Homeland Security to submit a report on how to prevent future terrorist attacks using the lessons learned from domestic acts of terror that happen.
• Passed the ADVANCE Act through the House, to allow military service members to easily transition to civilian employment. The bill was passed by the Senate and is waiting for the president to sign it into law.
Rep. Aguilar has represented California’s 31st Congressional District since 2015. He serves on the Appropriations Committee, is the Whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and is an assistant whip for the House Democratic Caucus. The former Mayor of Redlands, Rep. Aguilar is committed to empowering working families across the Inland Empire.