Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Pete Aguilar
Current job title: U.S. Congressman for California’s 33rd Congressional District
Age: 56
Political party affiliation: Democratic
Incumbent: Yes
Other political positions held: Mayor of Redlands (2010-2014), Redlands City Council (2006-2014)
City where you reside: Redlands
Campaign website or social media: peteaguilar.com
From voter ID to war powers and from immigration to tariffs, Congress has tackled many issues over the past year. What do you, though, see as the top three issues impacting Californians, and what specifically could you do as a lawmaker to address these issues? (Please answer in 250 words or less, and keep your response to future proposals.)
In the Inland Empire and across California, there are three issues that stand out: the high cost of living, including the lack of affordable housing and resulting homelessness crisis; the out-of-control ICE agents who are terrorizing Californian communities and businesses; and costly environmental disasters like worsening wildfires and high air pollution in places like San Bernardino County that threaten public health.
Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve tackled these issues head-on by working to bring down costs on everything from housing to health care, holding the Trump administration responsible for their dangerous approach to immigration enforcement that’s devastating families and our economy, and delivering federal resources to California that will make our air and water cleaner and deliver much-needed disaster relief. As the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, I helped pass legislation to lower health care costs, launch the pressure campaign that helped oust Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security and Pam Bondi as attorney general, prevent additional funding for ICE without agency-wide changes, and have secured funding for infrastructure projects to build more affordable housing and lower pollution in the Inland Empire.
I’m confident that if this is what I was able to achieve with House Democrats in the minority, I’ll be able to supercharge these efforts in the majority to secure funding to lower the costs Californians are facing, reform our broken immigration system, and deliver resources to help communities recover from wildfires and pollution.
Speaking of voter ID, the president has implored Congress to approve legislation that would require people to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. What role do you believe the federal government plays in telling states how to conduct their own elections, as dictated by the U.S. Constitution? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The Constitution clearly gives the states the power to set rules and to run their own elections. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is launching a federal takeover of our elections with his so-called “SAVE America Act,” but he is claiming this legislation is about voter ID instead. The truth is, this bill is an unconstitutional effort to take away power from the states that run our elections, turn over sensitive voter data to the federal government, and block millions of eligible American citizens from voting. This should really be called the “Save Republicans Act” because Trump knows limiting Americans’ access to the ballot box is the only way Republicans will be able to win in the congressional midterm elections, given how deeply unpopular their policies are with Americans. Just like we fought back against Trump’s attempts to rig the congressional maps to favor Republicans in states across the country, I will fight against this voter suppression legislation at every turn to safeguard our elections.
What, in your opinion, should the federal government focus on when it comes to immigration policy? For example, do you place a priority on border security, visas for high-skilled workers, refuge for asylum seekers, etc., and why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
In the immediate term, we must address Donald Trump’s out-of-control ICE agents who are brutalizing immigrants, detaining children, killing U.S. citizens, and making our country less safe. Democrats have made progress by preventing additional funding from going to this agency without desperately-needed reforms, but there is still more to do to ensure ICE is held to the same standards as our local police departments. This includes mandating the use of judicial warrants, getting rid of face masks, and protecting sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and churches. At the same time, Congress must continue making progress on a comprehensive immigration reform package that supports pathways to citizenship for DREAMers, reforms our visa system and grows our economy, while also securing our border. Additionally, throughout my time in Congress, I have advocated for DACA recipients, including most recently championing legislation that would allow DREAMers to work in federal jobs, backed legislation to support farmworkers by reforming our visa programs, and have pushed for more resources to remove immigration backlogs so cases are heard in a timely, efficient manner. I will continue working with anyone to get this done.
It’s been over a year since Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the federal government for supplemental disaster aid to help Southern California communities rebuild after the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, but neither President Donald Trump nor Congress has acted. What would you do to push for the funding, besides writing letters to the Trump administration or the leaders of Congress? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Donald Trump promised to deliver federal aid to Californians who lost everything during the devastating LA fires. Yet this has proven to be another broken promise from this president. Since the beginning of his administration, Donald Trump has decimated FEMA and has actively rejected aid for Democratic-run states like California. As a result, California families are left waiting for Trump and the Republican-led Congress to provide funding for disaster relief, prolonging their hardship and delaying the critical rebuilding of infrastructure.
While Donald Trump plays politics with disaster-relief funding, I am working hard to get more money to support California’s economy, create jobs, and assist with the rebuilding of schools, homes, critical utilities and other infrastructure. I will continue partnering with Gov. Newsom, the California Congressional Delegation, and state and local leaders to bring relief to the impacted communities.
Do you support a ban or restriction on congressional lawmakers and their families from buying or selling individual stocks? Why or why not? And what would you propose to ensure lawmakers aren’t using their positions to engage in insider trading? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, I do. I am a lead cosponsor of the Restore Trust in Government Act, legislation that would ban members of Congress, the president and the vice president from buying and selling stocks. As the people’s representatives, members of Congress should be held to the same standards as the American people, not playing by a separate set of rules. No one, not the president, the vice president, or members of Congress should be above the law. I’m confident that when Democrats take back the House in November, we will pass this bill through the House and hold lawmakers of both parties accountable.
Do you support stronger regulations on pollution and carbon emissions? If so, how would you ensure those regulations aren’t overly burdensome on small businesses or lower-income families? And if not, how do you propose lawmakers protect the environment and curtail the impacts of climate change? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I believe we can have both: regulations that keep our air and water clean while also allowing businesses and families to thrive. I am laser-focused on improving our region’s air quality, which is frequently rated as having some of the worst air pollution in the country. Poor air quality leads to higher rates of respiratory illnesses. This pollution also disproportionately impacts lower-income families, many of whom struggle to afford health care. While Donald Trump and Republicans roll back regulations that keep our air and water clean and gut health care funding, I’m focused on making sure we have a healthy environment, a strong health care system, and a state that attracts businesses. If we want to continue to grow our region and encourage more people and businesses to move here, we must ensure the Inland Empire is a healthy place to live.
That’s why I have consistently fought for legislation that invests in clean energy, cuts carbon emissions, and closes pollution loopholes. I have also secured funding for local clean energy projects. Most recently, I secured $1 million for Omnitrans zero-emission electric buses and infrastructure. I’ll continue fighting for cleaner air and water so that California families can stay healthy and businesses can succeed.
President Donald Trump has significantly increased spending for the U.S. Department of Defense. Would you, as a member of Congress, approve additional dollars for the military if the president were to ask for more funding? How would you ensure that any military spending does not end up putting the American people or national security in harm’s way? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I am a strong supporter of our military and our veterans and all they do to keep our nation safe. America is stronger because we have the best military in the world, and I have consistently supported funding for our national security and the Department of Defense. However, right now, Donald Trump and Republicans are asking for more than $200 billion to fund their illegal, unilateral, and costly war in Iran that the American people overwhelmingly do not want and that has already killed more than a dozen of our American servicemembers. Republicans are also now proposing even more cuts to health care in order to pay for this costly conflict. This is completely shameful. I will not support any efforts to continue funding a war that this administration cannot explain or justify, and that will continue to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way. I support our military readiness, but I am strongly against sending in any additional troops to another seemingly endless war in the Middle East. As this war drags on, Members on both sides of the aisle should stand up to this president and work to hold this administration accountable for putting our servicemembers at risk abroad and for jacking up prices on Americans here at home.
Under what specific circumstances do you believe the U.S. should engage in a war? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The U.S. should only declare war if there is an imminent threat to the American people and our national security. Unfortunately, rather than focusing on the issues that matter most to the American people at home, Donald Trump has launched the U.S. into multiple costly wars where there has been no clear threat to our country. At the same time, he is threatening to leave NATO, one of the strongest and most powerful alliances in world history. In Congress, I will continue to stand up against unnecessary, costly, and dangerous wars that put our servicemembers in harm’s way, honor our alliances, and protect our national security.
Do you believe a president should seek congressional approval before engaging in military action overseas? Why, or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes. The United States Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to declare war. This is an essential part of our checks and balances system to prevent a corrupt president from dragging our nation into costly, dangerous, or spiteful wars. As we have seen with Donald Trump, he has consistently failed to seek congressional approval and has unilaterally gone to war with Venezuela and Iran. As a result, our nation is now in yet another seemingly endless Middle East war. I recently voted for the bipartisan War Powers Resolution to hold the Trump administration accountable and to prevent additional military action in Iran without congressional approval. The American people overwhelmingly oppose this war, and I’ll continue to stand against it and work with my colleagues to hold this administration accountable.
Congress, in theory, is supposed to serve as a check on the president through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers. Do you believe Congress has fulfilled that obligation during the past two administrations, with one being a Democrat and the other a Republican? Why or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The Republican-controlled Congress has failed to hold the Trump administration accountable for its clear corruption. In fact, Republicans have simply been enablers of Donald Trump’s extreme and costly agenda, including his illegal tariffs that are devastating our economy, his unconstitutional war with Iran, and his many unlawful and corrupt executive orders, including one recently to overhaul our federal elections and restrict mail-in voting. However, Democrats, using the few tools afforded to us in the minority, have been able to hold this administration accountable. Whether that’s by mounting pressure campaigns to oust Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, forcing the testimony of Trump administration officials before the Oversight Committee, successfully passing three bills through the House to release the Epstein files, restore federal bargaining rights, and to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, or passing a resolution to overturn Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Democrats have shown our strength. There is always more Congress can and must do, however, to stop this administration from carrying out even more illegal and corrupt activities. That’s why I am working tirelessly to ensure Democrats win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November so we can pass legislation to lower costs and hold the Trump administration accountable.
Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Should Congress adopt such restrictions? If so, what specific restrictions do you propose? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Social media has become a regular part of daily life for most people across the country and the world. While social media has many benefits, like staying connected with loved ones, conducting business or simply sharing information, it is clear that there are adverse effects on the mental health and safety of children. As a parent, I know how important it is that we do whatever we can to keep our children safe. While there are many proposals and bills to enhance online safety for children, I believe that this is a clear opportunity to advance a bipartisan proposal that balances our freedom to connect with one another online with the need to keep children healthy and safe.
Statistically, violent crime rates in California are on the decline, yet residents still don’t feel safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in Congress in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Improving public safety and ensuring our local law enforcement has the resources and tools to do their jobs are among my top priorities in Congress, and I am working to bring home federal dollars that will do just that. Earlier this year, I was proud to secure more than $2 million for police Departments in the Inland Empire. This funding will go toward updated surveillance technology to monitor and respond to incidents more effectively.
In addition to supporting our law enforcement, I believe we must reform ICE so that people in our communities aren’t afraid to go to work, school, church or to see a doctor. Having unidentified, masked and armed agents roaming the streets and making traffic stops puts many people’s lives at risk.
There are term limits to serve in the California Legislature, but none to serve in Congress. Would you advocate for term limits for House members? Why or why not? If you support term limits, how many years maximum should a House member be allowed to serve? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
For years, members of Congress representing Southern California and the Inland Empire have used their seniority and experience in the House to advance Californians’ top priorities. If voters do not feel as though they’re being represented, they have the opportunity to replace their representative every two years. This is ultimately the voters’ decision.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Barbecuing is my hidden talent and my happy place. I love spending time in the backyard with my family.